Ingredients

• 25g/1oz dripping or vegetable oil
• 1 large onion
• finely chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 500g/1lb 2oz lamb mince
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 anchovy
• finely chopped (optional)
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 450ml/16fl oz chicken
• beef or lamb stock
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 700g/1½lb potatoes
• peeled and cut into halves or quarters
• 55ml/2fl oz milk
• 75g/3oz butter
• 1 free-range egg yolk

Directions

• In a large saucepan
• heat the dripping or oil. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile
• in a large frying pan
• heat a little olive oil and fry the mince
• stirring
• until browned all over. While the meat is frying
• break up any lumps with the back of the spoon.
• Stir the onions
• then add the flour (this helps to thicken the juices) and stir. Add the bay leaves
• thyme and the anchovy and stir. Add the chopped tomatoes
• stock (keep a little aside
• for putting into the mince pan to de-glaze the pan) and Worcestershire sauce.
• Add the cooked mince and then pour the stock mixture into empty mince pan
• scraping off any bits of mince left in the pan. Pour the remaining stock into the pan containing the sauce mixture. Bring the mixture to the boil
• adding a pinch of salt and pepper and let it simmer for about 45 minutes
• stirring regularly.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
• For the mash
• boil the potatoes until tender. Drain
• add the milk
• butter and egg yolk
• then mash until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
• Pour the meat into a 1.4-litre/2½-pint ovenproof dish and spread the mash on top
• smooth over and mark with a spatula. Put the dish into the oven and cook until the surface is golden-brown.