Traditional English Beef & Potato Picnic Pies - Pasties - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Potatoes
1 lb white potato, peeled, diced & boiled
2 -3 tablespoons milk
2 ounces butter
salt & pepper
Beef
1 lb minced beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 white onions, peeled & diced finely
1 -2 garlic clove, peeled & crushed- (optional)
15 ounces canned tomatoes
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 pint beef stock, made with a stock cube
1 teaspoon mixed herbs
1 tablespoon tomato puree (optional)
black pepper
Pastry
2 (9 ounce) packets puff pastry
flour
butter, for greasing
1 eggs, beaten well or 1 milk
sea salt

Preparation

First peel and cut your potatoes into even size chunks & then boil for about 15-20 minutes or until very tender, but not too mushy.
Drain the potatoes and add the milk, butter, salt & pepper to taste.
Mash very well with a potato masher or using a hand-held mixer.
Mash/mix until there are no lumps left.
The mashed potato should be smooth but fairly firm and not too soft.
Heat up the oil in a large roomy pan and add the diced onions. Add the garlic if using with the onions.
Cook the onions for about 15-20 minutes, until soft and golden.
Remove the onions and set to one side in a large mixing bowl.
Add the minced beef, adding a bit more oil if necessary. Stir the minced beef all the time to break down any lumps. Cook for about 15 - 20 minutes until cooked & brown all the way through.
Add the tinned tomatoes, soy sauce, herbs, tomato puree if using and a good twist of freshly ground black pepper. Mix together thoroughly.
Continue to simmer and add the beef stock - stirring all the time for a further 5 minutes.
Take off the heat and add the beef mixture to the onions.
Mix them together thoroughly & then add the mashed potatoes - mix again well.
Allow to cool slightly.
Pre-heat the oven to 220C, 425F or gas mark 7.
Grease 6 x 5\" pie tins OR 1 x 9\" ovenproof pie plate.
Sprinkle some flour onto a board and roll out the ready-made puff pastry.
Taking a saucer or a large cookie cutter, cut out six x bottoms for the pie tins, just slightly larger than the tins. (Invert the pie plate & cut around it for a plate pie.).
Put the pastry bottoms into the buttered tins (or on to the buttered plate) and fill generously with the beef and potato pie filling.
Cut out the lid/s and moisten the edges of the bottom pastry case with water; then place the lid/s on top - making sure they reach right up to the edge.
Crimp the edges of the pastry with a fork or your fingers to make a seal.
Cut two slits on top of the pies with a knife or scissors.
Glaze with the beaten egg (or milk) and sprinkle some sea salt.
Bake in the pre-heated oven for 25- 30 minutes until puffed up and golden brown.
Serve warm or cold with pickles, chutneys and assorted salads.
Ideal for picnics, snacks, light lunches & brunch.
Freezer:
To freeze them, pack them with greaseproof paper between each pie in a freezer container. Defrost for at least 6 hours. Can be frozen before the final baking or after being baked. To cook when unbaked, defrost them & then follow the directions above.