British Corned Beef and Potato Pie is a traditional North East England comfort food recipe. With flaky pastry that sits on top of corned beef, mashed potato, carrots celery and onions, this could be that ideal meal when feeding the family.

This recipe comes from TV chef Paul Hollywood who noted that it takes less than 30 minutes to put together and cooking in about one to two hours.

Describing the dish, Paul said: “This double-crusted pie may have an old-fashioned thrifty feel, but it’s ideal for a family supper, and very easy to put together.

“Use good-quality tinned corned beef for the best flavour and choose a reasonably waxy potato variety such as Desiree, that will hold its shape in the pie, giving a good texture.”

Although Paul recommends making the pastry by scratch, those short on time can use ready-made shortcrust pastry.

Ingredients 

For the shortcrust pastry

300g plain flour

Pinch of salt

75g cold unsalted butter, cut into 1cm cubes

75g lard, cut into 1cm cubes

One egg, beaten

For the filling

One tablespoon of vegetable or sunflower oil

One medium onion, chopped

One large carrot, peeled and diced

Two celery sticks diced

One large potato, about 250g, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes

340g corned beef, broken into large chunks

Splash of Henderson relish or Worcestershire sauce

250ml beef stock

One tablespoon of chopped parsley

Salt and white pepper

Method 

To make the pastry, put the flour into a bowl and mix in the salt. Add the butter and lard and rub into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Alternatively, do this in a food processor or mixer and then transfer to a bowl.

Using a table knife, work in just enough cold water to bring the pastry together – about four to six tablespoons. When the dough begins to stick together, use your hands to gently knead it into a ball. Wrap the pastry in cling film and put it in the fridge to rest while you make the filling.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook gently for five to 10 minutes, or until soft but not coloured.

Add the potato and cook for another five minutes. Stir in the corned beef, making sure it’s evenly distributed.

Add the bottled sauce, pour over the stock and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or so, until the carrots and potatoes are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated.

Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary, then tip into a bowl and leave to cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and have ready a nine-inch metal pie plate. Divide the pastry into two pieces – roughly two-thirds and one-third.

Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the larger piece to a two to 3mm thickness. Use to line the pie plate. Roll out the remaining pastry ready to form the lid.

Stir the chopped parsley into the filling. Spoon the filling into the pastry-lined dish (if it’s very wet, keep some of the liquid back to serve as gravy). Brush the edges of the pastry on the plate with a little beaten egg, then cover the pie with the pastry lid.

Crimp the edges together with a fork, or your fingers, then trim away the excess pastry neatly. Brush with beaten egg and make a couple of holes in the top to let the steam out. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown. Leave to rest for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing.