Mini Shepherd'S Pies - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 small brown onions (for Australians) or 1 small yellow onion, finely minced (for Americans)
2 -4 garlic cloves, minced
1 leek, thoroughly washed, finely chopped, use only the white and light green section, the coarse green sect (see Notes below)
1 -2 cup mushroom, finely sliced
800 g ground lamb or 25 1/2 ounces ground lamb
1/4 cup tomato paste (see note above)
400 g tomatoes, diced (just under 13oz)
1 -2 teaspoon lemon juice (optional ( if using drain the equivalent from the canned tomates)
1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)
sea salt, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
5 sheets shortcrust pastry
60 g unsalted butter, melted (2oz)
fresh chives, finely chopped, to garnish
POTATO TOPPING
470 -500 g leftover mashed potatoes (15oz-16oz)
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
sea salt, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation

PREPARING THE PIE FILLING: Heat a large non-stick pan; add the onion, garlic, leek, mushrooms and minced lamb/ground lamb and cook until the lamb is browned; drain any excess juices from the pan; stir in the tomato paste (or dried Australian Bush Tomatoes) diced tomatoes lemon juice and pine nuts, if using; season with pepper and salt; bring to the boil; boil, uncovered, for 5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened; transfer to a large bowl; cover and refrigerate until cold.
PREPARING AND FILLING THE PASTRY CASES: Using an 8cm-wide/3 inch cutter cut out 9 rounds from each pastry sheet - 45 rounds in all; place the rounds on a flat surface and flatten slightten slighten slighly with a rolling pin; place the rounds about 3cm /11/4 inches apart, on oven trays lined with baking paper; spoon 1 tablespoon of the lamb mixture in the centre of each round, leaving a 1cm/1/2 inch pastry edge; fold up the edges of the pastry, overlapping the folds tightly to secure the filling.
PREHEAT THE OVEN to 200\u00b0C/400\u00b0F/6 gas mark.
MAKING AND ADDING THE POTATO TOPPING: Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl; spoon the potato topping into a large piping bag fitted with a 1 cm/1/2 inch fluted nozzle; pipe small rosettes on top of each pastry round to partially cover the mince filling; drizzle the potato and pastry with the melted butter.
COOKING THE MINI SHEPHERD PIES: Cook the Mini Shepherd Pies in a hot oven (200\u00b0C/400\u00b0F/6 gas mark) for about 20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.
SERVING THE MINI SHEPHERD PIES: Garnish the pies with fresh chives and serve hot.
NOTES: If you have any filling left over, save it for making a toasted sandwich. If you have made these Shepherd's Pies ahead, reheat them in a hot oven for 15 minutes before serving them. The dicarded coarse leaves from the leek and any excess tomato juice can be saved for making Recipe #135453.