Real British Shepherd’s Pie

Chop the onion and garlic finely and fry over medium heat in an oiled pan on the stovetop. Once softened, sprinkle the flour over to make a very loose roux. This will help thicken the gravy later.

Add the mince and stir through to break up any clumps, allowing the mince to brown all over.

Whisk 2 cups of cold water with 2 tablespoons of stock powder, and add it to the mince pan along with the red wine. Turn the flame down to the lowest heat possible, and allow to simmer for at least fifteen minutes.

Peel and chop the potatoes into chunks, and boil vigorously on a high heat until very soft.

Add the anchovy powder, worcestershire sauce and mixed herbs to the mince pan. Taste, and season accordingly.

Cut or break the broccoli head into small florets and add to the mince pan, along with the remaining cup of water whisked with one tablespoon of stock powder. Turn the heat up to medium-low and simmer for ten minutes or longer.

Taste the mince-gravy mixture and add the 25ml extra of alcohol if you think it necessary. Don’t simmer away too much of the liquid, because gravy is built into a shepherd’s pie. Turn the heat back down to very low while you mash the potatoes.

Drain the potatoes, which should have been boiled to almost breaking point, and mash them with milk, butter and more salt and pepper. This amount of butter should create a gorgeous mash, the buttery taste of which can even withstand the beefy boozy filling later on.

Tip the mince mixture into a large, deep dish to go in the oven. Spread the potato mash carefully over the top, then use a fork to create mountains and troughs in the mash by raking and lifting. A smooth topping seriously detracts from a real shepherd’s pie.

Bake for twenty minutes to forty minutes, depending on how desperately you need the pie, at 180 degrees C (360 Fahrenheit). It’s a good idea to put the bowl on a large sheet of foil, because the pie filling will try to escape a little.

Serve with a teaspoon or so of mustard on the side. I think it works best with whole grain mustard.