BEEF CHICK PEA AND TOMATO PIE
Everyone loves a home cooked meat pie, and I love chick peas, so here’s my Beef, chick pea and tomato winter pie …
(makes 10):
Spray oil
1 tbs olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 medium brown onion, peeled and diced
500g premium beef mince
400g tin diced tomatoes
2 tbs tomato paste
3 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 cup beef stock
1 400g tin chick peas, drained
5 sheets ready-rolled puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
Preheat oven to 200 degrees C
In a large pan, heat the oil and add the garlic and onion. Cook, stirring, until softened. Add mince, stir through for 4 minutes or until browned and cooked through. Add tinned tomatoes, tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce and beef stock and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes or until sauce thickens. Stir throigh chick peas and set aside to cool.
Using spray oil, or a generously oiled paper towel, oil the ramakins/muffin tray.
Using a large (13cm) and small (9cm) pastry round, bowl or egg ring, cut two large and two small circles from each pastry sheet. Place the large rounds in the ramakins to cover the bottoms and lightly prick the bases. Refridgerate for 20 minutes. Keep the small rounds from drying by placing a damp cloth over them.
Remove pastry-lined ramakins from fridge and cover the holes with baking paper. Fill the holes with uncooked rice or dried beans. This is called baking blind and prevents to pastry base from rising. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
Remove ramakins from oven, remove paper and rice. Spoon the mince mixture into ramakin holes. Lightly brush the top edges of the pastry with beaten egg, then place the smaller rounds on top and press around edges to seal. Brush tops with beaten egg.
Place in oven for about 20 – 25 minutes or until browned lightly.
Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes. Cover ramakin with a small plate, then flip over upside. Mince pies should come loose. Turn back up to the right side and serve, with a little tomato sauce!
