Jack Skellington Halloween Beef Pie with Buttery Colcannon

Thu, 31 October 2019

Ingredients

750g minced beef

300mls beef stock / beef broth  (slow cooker) or 650mls batch cooker in oven

2 tbsp Worcester sauce

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp onion powder

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tsp fresh thyme

1 x 375g packet puff pastry

1 egg to glaze

 

Optional :

1 clove smoked garlic

1/4 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp Ballyhoura mushroom umami powder

2 tbsp Tomato purée

1 large  sweet potato (peeled and diced)

50g chorizo

 

Method

1. Prepare the beef for the slow cooker - pop the minced beef, warm stock, Worcester sauce, and smoked paprika, umami powder and tomato puree. Turn on to high and simmer for 3 hours.
2. Prepare the beef for the oven - brown the mince in an oven proof saucepan, add in all the aromatics and cook out for 1 minute. Pour in the hot stock, (add in sweet potato & chorizo if using). Stir and pop in the oven for 3 hours.
3. When the beef is cooked and cooled preheat the oven to 180°C.
4. Roll out the pastry. To about double the original size. Place the template and cut around the edges. Use the leftovers as the base of the pie. Press in to the tin. 
5. Spoon all this mixture into the pie dish.
6. Cut out the spooky Jack Skellington Halloween face. Place on top of the pie.
7. Using your fingers pinch up the edges. Trim off any excess pastry.
8. Brush with egg wash. Bake for 45minutes.
9. Serve with a steamy mug of gravy on the side and a big pot of buttery colcannon.

 

Buttery Colcannon Recipe

• 7-8 large potatoes
• 1 green savoy cabbage
• 150mls milk or cream
• 75g of butter
• 2-3 scallions (green onions), chopped or parsley
• Salt and pepper

 

How to make Colcannon:

10. Peel and boil the potatoes. Remove the core from the cabbage, slice it thinly, and place into a large saucepan. Cover with boiling water and keep at a slow rolling boil until the cabbage is just wilted and has turned a darker green. Test it and don’t let it overcook. If anything, it should be slightly under-cooked.
11. When the cabbage is cooked, drain it well, then drain it again and squeeze to get any excess moisture out, then return to the saucepan.
12. When the potatoes are soft, drain, and then return to the saucepan with the drained potatoes in. Put burner to low, leaving the lid off so that any excess moisture can evaporate.
13. Warm the milk/cream with the butter and seasoning.
14. Fold into the potatoes along with the spring onions