Cornish Meat Pie

Preheat oven to 350 F.

1. In a deep skillet over medium high heat, crumble the ground meat and add enough water to cover it. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat and let it simmer gently for about five minutes, stirring occasionally until it is cooked though. Drain the meat into a large colander and transfer it to a mixing bowl. Break up the meat with a large spoon mashing it against the side of the bowl until has reached a fine texture.

2. In a small saucepan, combine the carrots, potatoes and onion. Cover them with cold water and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and simmer the vegetables until they are tender (about five minutes.) Strain the vegetables in the colander but reserve 1/2 cup of the liquid.

3. In a separate saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and stir for two minutes. Add the beef stock, garlic and fresh herbs. Simmer and stir for 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. Add the sauce into the bowl with the cooked meat. The mixture should be moist, but not runny. If it is too dry, add a little of the cooking liquid from the vegetables. Gently stir in the cooked vegetables. Put one pie crust into a deep pie pan. Add the filling mixture to the lined pie pan. Smooth the top of the filling and cover with second pie crust. Crimp the top and bottom crusts together using your finger and thumb. Slash the top of the pie crust three of four times using a sharp knife. Put the pie pan on a foil lined rimmed baking sheet.

5. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes until golden brown. Remove pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack. Leave the pie to settle for a few minutes before cutting it into thick wedges. Serve at once with a steamed green vegetable or salad.

This recipe is adapted from The Garner Museum Cafe Cookbook.