TOM'S BIG FEAST
Recipes and Information - Programmes 1 - 8

For more information about Tom Cull visit his website dartmoorkitchen.com

Tom's Big Feast

Jennifer Saunders narrates a new series about a new talent in the kitchen. If you want a big feast for your big day then Tom Cull is your man. Tom is an award-winning pie maker and event cook. Living and working on the edge of Dartmoor, he is about to face his biggest challenge yet as he prepares a Devon Feast for a crowd of local VIPs from the media and food worlds.

Programme 1: Thursday 3 January

DEVON COUNTY SHOW LUNCH AT GREAT BARN

BEEF CARPACCIO

"This is a Devon take on a classic Italian dish. I want to use the best fillet I can get because although it is cured but it is still served raw. You need it very tender. It’s got the wow factor because it’s Carpaccio; it’s got a great name and it tastes b****y brilliant!"

Tom Cull

To make

The beef fillet is initially quite expensive, but it does not need to be used all at once, and as each serving uses just a small amount, the fillet goes a long way. The beauty of it is that you can keep it in the freezer and use it for a number of meals!

There are two methods of serving this dish, one of which requires a rotary slicer.

Serves 20

The Marinade Ingredients

700g fillet beef

200ml soy sauce

150ml balsamic vinegar

800 ml olive oil

1 heaped teaspoon black peppercorns

1 heaped teaspoon sea salt

2 bay leaves

1 handful / 20g thyme

1 handful / 20g flat parsley

1 whole unpeeled garlic bulb, cut in half through cloves

The dressing – quantities per portion

10g diced shallot

1 thinly sliced radish

10 leafs of flat parsley with stalks removed

1 sprig of fresh thyme with the leafs stripped off

1 tbs rice wine vinegar

2 tbs olive oil

1tbs of the meat marinade

Five thin slices of goat’s cheese

Salt and pepper

Put all the above in to a bowl and mix together. This can be done a few hours in advance if kept chilled.

Method

Trim off any excess fat off the meat, roll and tie the meat up with string so that it retains its shape throughout the marinade. (You can always ask your butcher to do this for you).

To make the marinade put the balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, thyme, flat leaf parsley, salt and peppercorns, garlic bulb halves, bay leaves and oil into a large bowl and stir all the ingredients together.

Place the tied meat in a container and pour the marinade over the top, stir it all together ensuring the meat is covered by the marinade. Place in a fridge for 4 days, turning the meat once a day to ensure the meat is cured evenly.

After four days remove the meat from the marinade and take off the string. Now wrap the meat in Clingfilm and roll it up tightly.

Method if using a rotary slicer

Pop the Carpaccio into a freezer and leave until frozen solid. The rotary slicer will be used to slice the meat whilst it is still frozen. In this way you can cut as many or as few slices as required and return the rest to the freezer for another occasion.

At least half an hour before serving set the rotary slicer to produce very thin cuts of around three or four millimetres. As the slices are so thin, they will thaw out at room temperature in just a few minutes. Return any unused meat to the freezer for another time.

Method if slicing by hand

After wrapping the meat in Clingfilm place it in a refrigerator to chill.

When ready to serve, use a sharp knife to slice the meat as thinly as possible. When you have cut enough slices, the rest can be wrapped tightly in Clingfilm again and frozen for use another time.

Serving

Cut five slices per person and arrange them on a plate in a circle with each slice overlapping. Just before serving, into the centre spoon the dressing and then drizzle some oil / vinegar mixture over the meat. Finally place the goat’s cheese slices on top.

What they said

"The Carpaccio was nice and tender. It is very light and comes together well. It took us a long time to produce this meat and outcome is excellent."

Graham Pearse of the Marbeled Meat Company who's South Devon beef Tom uses to make this dish

"Superb! The Carpaccio – I couldn’t believe it! It was so melt in the mouth, superb!"

Bernard Doe, Down St Mary Vineyard

"The beef was divine – so tasty. The different flavours exploded on my tongue."

Helen Lynch - South Hams & Dartmoor Food and Drink Association 

Programme 2: Thursday 10 January

JO AND RONNIE'S WEDDING IN A MARQUEE IN A FIELD

Devon based event chef Tom Cull is preparing the food for a summer party but it’s not going too well. Everyone is eating far too much, so his food and his patience are running out fast. This time, it looks like Tom has bitten off far more than he can chew.

Recipe: Roast butternut squash and red onion tart with mustard leaf & Devon Blue (v)     

Food Producer: John Roswell organic vegetables

Roasted Butternut Squash and Red Onion Tart

“This is a favourite vegetarian recipe that is much requested at many functions and enjoyed by veggies and meat lovers alike. In the autumn a seasonal Halloween version can be made by substituting squash with pumpkin when you could call it something like Witches Tart!”

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS

Pastry

125g butter

250g plain four

Pinch of butter

100ml water

Quiche filling

5          medium red onions

600g   butternut squash

25g     butter for roasting

4          cloves of garlic, left whole and in their skins, but cracked with the flat of a knife to let juices out

A glug of olive oil for roasting

A large sprig of rosemary, broken into three pieces

A mixed handful of chopped flat leaf parsley and mustard leaf (if you don’t have mustard leaf can use rocket)

150 gm Devon Blue cheese, or any blue, smoked or feta cheese, sliced thinly

Custard mix

3 whole eggs and 1 egg yolk

½ pint of cream

½ pint of milk

Salt and pepper

10 inch (25cm) pastry/quiche tin

Parchment paper to cove the pastry

Beans / stones for blind-baking the pastry

Roasting tin

Pastry method

Use a magimix to make his pastry or the ingredients can easily be mixed by hand. For this recipe the pastry is blind-baked before the filling is added.

Put the butter, flour and salt into a magimix and pulse until breadcrumbs forms; add water a little at a time until you can see it starting to form at the bottom. Take the mixture out onto a floured surface and kneed to give smooth firm dough. The dough can be used immediately but it is better if it is rested for 15 minutes.

Roll pastry out onto a floured surface, until 3mm thick, flour a quiche tin, fold the rolled pastry over a rolling pin and very carefully place it onto the top of the baking tin, gently work the pastry into the edges, it fits snugly. Leave the spare pastry overlapping the sides. Make a few fork marks in the base, and place in a fridge to chill for 30 minutes.

To blind-bake, place some parchment paper over the tin and place the baking beans/stones inside, on top of the pastry. Put into an oven at 190 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes. Then remove the baking beans/stones and parchment and egg wash the pastry before returning it to the oven for another 5 minutes. Take a sharp knife and carefully trim any overhanging pastry to create a neat edge.

Filling method

Use a potato peeler to remove the butternut squash skin, chop the ends off , cut in half lengthways, de-seed each, and cut into very large rustic chunks (about 6cm x 3cm x 4cm).

Take red onions, trim the stalk / crown end off but don’t cut the root end off (this will help keep the onion together whilst it cooks), peel and chop each one into quarters.

Now it is time to flavour the cooking oil before baking the vegetables. Place the 25g butter and glug of olive oil in a roasting tin, add 4 gloves of garlic, and pieces of rosemary, mix together and put into the oven at 190 degrees Celsius for five minutes to warm through. Take out of the oven and add the butternut squash and onions, mix it all around so that everything gets a nice even coating, season with salt and pepper then place back into the oven at 220 degrees Celsius for about 45 minutes, or until the vegetables are golden brown and soft to touch. Take out of oven and allow to cool.

To make the custard mix, put the whole eggs, egg yolk, cream, milk, salt and pepper into a large mixing bowl, and whisk together until evenly mixed and the eggs have broken down.

Take the roasted butternut squash and onions and place them in the pastry case (don’t put the rosemary sprig in). Slip the garlic out of their skins and crumble over the top of the tart with the flat leaf parsley, mustard leaf and blue cheese slices.

If you now fill the tart with all the custard mix the chances are you will spill it on the way to the oven! So, pour just half into the tart, then it carry over to oven, place half way in and then top it up with the rest of the mix. Close the door and bake at 170 degrees Celsius for 40 minutes, or until it starts setting in the centre – you can check if it is done buy gently pressing down on one of the vegetables – if liquid runs out from around it then it is not quite cooked.

Programme 3: Thursday 17 January

FOWEY AND THE GRAND LADY

Tom Cull becomes a galley slave. He’s been asked on board a super yacht in Cornwall to create a fancy dinner for eight guests. Tom’s menu is ambitious but working in a cramped galley is a tall order, so will Tom be congratulated or keelhauled?

Food Producers: Camel Valley Wines, Kittows Butcher, Fowey Fish and Tiffins Deli.
  
PRUNE AND ALMOND TART
 Tom’s mum, Cindy, first taught him how to make this tart.

Serves 12

Ingredients

Pastry
125g butter
250g plain four

Pinch of butter
100ml water

Filling
400g pre-soaked prunes
30g flaked almonds

85g self raising flour
170g butter
170g caster sugar
85g ground almonds
 2 eggs and one yolk, lightly whisked

500g mascarpone
1 vanilla pod
½ lemon
40g sugar
About 70 raspberries (a mix of yellow and red if available)

One 10 inch (25cm) pastry tin
Parchment paper to cove the pastry
Beans / stones for blind-baking the pastry

Method
Put the butter, flour and salt into a magimix (or mix by hand) and pulse until breadcrumb-like lumps form; add water a little at a time until you can see them starting to form at the bottom. Place the mixture onto a floured surface and kneed to smooth firm dough. You can use the dough immediately but it is better if you rest it for 15 minutes.

Roll pastry out onto a floured surface, until 3mm thick, flour a quiche tin, fold the rolled pastry over a rolling pin and very carefully place it over the top of the quiche tin, gently work the pastry into the corners, lifting up the loose overlapping pastry from around the sides to avoid tearing the pastry. Gently push the pastry into the mould of the tin, until it fits snugly. Leave the spare pastry overlapping the sides. Make a few fork marks in the pastry, and place in a fridge to chill for 30 minutes.

To blind-bake the pastry, place some parchment paper over the tin and place the baking beans/stones on top of the paper and pastry. Bake in the oven at 190 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes, take out, remove the paper and baking beans/stones, and egg wash the pastry and pop back into the oven for another 5 minutes.

Take a sharp knife and carefully trim any overhanging pastry from around the edge of the tin.

Lay half of the pre-soaked prunes into the pastry case, sprinkle half of the flaked almonds on top of the prunes.

To make the filling mix, put the butter and sugar in a blender and mix until smooth (or by hand with a wooden spoon). Add the ground almonds and flour and mix well. Add the 2 eggs and one egg yolk and mix.

Pour the filling mix into the tart, giving an even covering. Then place the rest of the prunes on top with the remaining almonds. Bake in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes, then turn down to 150 degrees for 40 minutes.

Place the mascarpone into a bowl with the juice of ½ a lemon and 40g of sugar. De –seed 1 vanilla pod, scraping the seeds in with the mascarpone, mix all the ingredients together and put in fridge until ready to serve.

Serve a slice of the tart with a spoonful of mascarpone and a little pile of fresh raspberries.

Programme 4: Thursday 24 January

NATALIE & PETER’S WEDDING AT HUNTSHAM COURT

Natalie and Peter have planned the perfect Devon wedding, and with two hundred guests to impress, they turned to event chef Tom Cull. But their reception will be held in a marquee and creating a magnificent wedding feast in the middle of a field won’t be easy.

SALAD OF SMOKED EEL WITH LYONNAISE POTATOES AND WILD ROCKET

Food Producer: Brown & Forrest Eel Smokery

“This is ideal for people who have not tried eel before. It looks wonderful and tastes just as good. The recipe will also work with any smoked fish or meat.”

Serves 4

Ingredients
750g baby potatoes, sliced lengthways and boiled in salted water for 15 – 20 minutes until tender
150g unpeeled banana shallots (can use normal shallots if can’t find banana ones)
25g  butter for frying
200ml  white wine
300ml  double cream
225g  smoked eel (could use any sort of smoked fish / meat)
2 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
1 heaped tbs of whole grain mustard
1 lemon cut in half
Salt and pepper for seasoning
1 tbs / small handful fresh thyme leaves (taken off the stalk)

Method
Drain the cooked potatoes, just as they are cooling pour back into saucepan and add the juice of half a lemon and a pinch of salt and pepper. Tear half the eel in to bite size chunks and work it through the potatoes.

Warm the butter in a frying pan and add the finely chopped shallots. Cook for about three minutes until soft but not coloured. Add the garlic and cook gently for a further three minutes, without colouring them. Add the thyme leaves, stir together and cook gently for a few minutes more, add the wine and deglaze the pan, reduce down by three quarters until the mixture just coats the bottom of the pan. Add the double cream, stir and reduce down further until thick.
Add the grainy mustard, the juice of half a lemon (but save a little juice for plating up) and a pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer until the sauce has thickened and coats the back of a wooden spoon.

Take the sauce off the heat and pour it over the cooled potatoes and eel mixture, gently stir together, taking care not to break up the potato’s texture, so that the potatoes get a nice even coating, check seasoning and add more if needed.

Put a large spoonful of the Lyonnais Potatoes in the centre of each plate. Break the second half of the eel up into strips and place on top of the potatoes.

Dress the rocket with a little olive oil and place a small heap on top of the eel. Finish each one with a little squeeze of lemon.

Programme 5 – Thursday 31 January

CHAGFORD SHOW

Tom Cull wants to be a meat pie mogul and plans to open his first pie and mash shop. But it will cost a small fortune, so to raise funds he runs the food and beer tent at the Chagford Show. Pretty soon it becomes clear he’s ordered too much food and has to start flogging off pies on the cheap. It’s not looking good.

Recipe: Mackerel on a Nicoise salad 
Food Producer: Mackerel fishing trip with Charlie

Tom Cull’s Fresh Mackerel On A Warm Nicose Salad
“Mackerel is a hugely underrated fish full of natural oils, which soak into the flesh when cooking to create a wonderful taste. It’s fantastic when fresh, but because it’s cheap it doesn’t get used so much. I have devised this recipe to put on my menu as a cheaper alternative to sea bass. There is no need to slavishly follow the quantities - mix stuff together until it’s nice!”

Serves 4

Ingredients
Large pan of iced water
Salt & pepper
4 free-range eggs, hard boiled and quartered
200g/7¼ oz green beans, trimmed
3 medium tomatoes cut into quarters, red and yellow if possible
60g/2½ oz pitted black olives
tbs capers
½ cup or a handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
½ cup or a handful rocket, chopped
English mustard
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
440g (14¼ oz) baby new potatoes, rinsed, drained and halved
2 tbsp olive oil

Method
Boil the potatoes until just cooked, strain; add lemon juice and a splash of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. As they are hot they will soak up all that flavour. Set aside to cool.

Boil the beans in salted water, until just cooked then plunge them into the iced water to arrest cooking and preserve the vibrant colour. Drain and dry.

Boil the eggs for 6 minutes then plunge them into the iced water. This should give a hard white with the yolk still soft and oozy.

Make up a dressing of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and English mustard – try 2 tbs oil, 1 tbs vinegar, 1 tsp mustard, or to taste - by adding them together in a jug or bottle and mixing.

Now assemble the salad dish. Into a bowl, add the beans, tomatoes olive, capers, more parsley. Shell and quarter the eggs and add.  Sprinkle the dressing all over with the rest of the lemon juice, season with sea salt and fresh black pepper and mix.

Fry the mackerel in a little olive oil, skin side down until crisp then briefly turn to fry the other side. This should only take a couple of minutes. Watch the side of the flesh as it cooks. It is done when the colour in the middle has just changed.

Assemble the salad onto four plates and place the mackerel fillet on top. Drizzle a little more dressing around the outside and serve.

Programme 6 – Thursday 7 February
TWO WEDDINGS AND A PARTY

Romance is in the air. Its tears all round as a bride and groom tie the knot in a beautiful Devon Manor house. In the kitchen event chef Tom Cull is busy preparing their wedding supper but has to battle with broken ovens. The starter is smoked eel and many guests have never tried it before. Others are vegetarians and vegans so he’s got them to please too.

Recipe: Smoked haddock and salmon fishcakes with creamed anchovy spinach

Smoked Haddock and Salmon Fishcakes with Creamed Anchovy Spinach

“These fishcakes are top notch! They can be made in two sizes: large to serve as a starter or fish course, or mini to serve as canapés or party nibbles with a tartar sauce dip.”

Serves 5 or 6 as a starter or makes 30 canapés

Fishcakes:

Ingredients
700g Cooked mashed floury potatoes such as Ukon Gold, Maris Piper or
King Edward made without milk or butter
425g skinned and baked smoked haddock fillets
200g smoked salmon fillet 
35g capers
1 tbs Dijon Mustard
1 bay leaf
1tp fresh thyme
1  crushed garlic clove 
25g butter
4  lemons -1 for cooking and three to six halves for serving
Milk
Handful of rough chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt and pepper

Fishcake coating
Tray of plain flour
Tray of 2 whisked eggs
Tray of breadcrumbs

A deep-fat fryer or frying pan

Creamed Anchovy Spinach:
250g spinach
3 chopped anchovy fillets
100ml double cream
1 tbs olive oil
25g butter
salt and pepper

Fishcakes:

Method
Place the haddock fillets into a saucepan with the bay leaf, garlic and thyme. Cover with cold milk and bring to the boil then remove from the heat and allow to cool for about ten minutes.

Score the salmon skin and season with salt and pepper. Deep fry this skin side down in the butter and a little oil, and whilst doing this season the belly with salt and pepper. After about three and a half minutes carefully turn the salmon over and fry the belly for another minute and a half. The middle of the fillet should only just be cooked and slightly pink. Remove from the heat and allow to cool

De-skin the salmon, and then flake both fish into a bowl keeping the flesh in chunky pieces.

In another bowl mix the cooled mash potatoes with the capers, parsley, mustard and a little salt and pepper. Add to this the fish and gently mix together by hand, taking care to preserve the chunks whole.

For large fishcakes divide the mixture into six, for canapés about thirty, and shape into round, flat patties. Chill to firm them up.

Next coat the fishcakes all over in flour, then beaten eggs, followed by breadcrumbs.

Deep fry in oil at 160C for seven to eight minutes until golden brown. Place on a kitchen towel to absorb excess fat.

At this point the fishcakes could be frozen for use another time, but make sure they are de-frosted before frying.

Creamed anchovy spinach

Method
Heat a pan with 25g of butter and 1 tbs oil and fry the chopped anchovies for a minute or so. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and the spinach, and fry for about a minute until it just begins to wilt. Add the cream and simmer for about two minutes.

To serve the large fishcakes, place some of the anchovy spinach in the centre of a plate and surround this with the crème sauce. Lean a fishcake on the side of the spinach and serve with half a lemon.

Serve as canapés, arrange on a platter with a tub of tartar sauce as a dip.

Programme 7 - Thursday 14 February
OPENING OF PRINCESSHAY – Land Securities launch party. 

Recipe: Peppered strawberry crème bruleé 
Food Producer: Chickens – free-range organic eggs for bruleé - Rob peck, Cobley Farm, Crediton 

Peppered Strawberry Creme Brulee

“Just as salt is used to bring out the flavour of savoury food, so a tiny pinch of pepper can enhance the flavour of soft fruit. It sounds crazy but it works! The peppered strawberries add an extra wow factor to an already favourite dessert.” 
TOM CULL

Serves 6 (or 3 greedy people!)

Ingredients
450g double cream
50ml milk
1 vanilla pod
7 egg yolks
75gm caster sugar
100g diced strawberries
1 pinch of crushed, black pepper
1 tbs Demarera sugar per ramekin for the topping
6 ramekins
A chef’s blowtorch to melt the topping
An oven tray about 2 inches (50cm) deep large enough to hold the ramekins

Method
In a bowl sprinkle a pinch of pepper over the diced strawberries, and then use them to line the base of each ramekin.

Split the vanilla pod open along its length, and scrape out the seeds.

Heat the milk and cream together in a pan and add the vanilla pod and seeds. Bring to simmering point then remove from the heat.

Place the egg yolks into a bowl, add the sugar and whisk until pale and creamy.

Remove the vanilla pod from the crème mixture and then pour slowly over the eggs, whisking constantly. If foam forms on the top, skim it off to leave a smooth consistency. 

Pour the crème into the 6 ramekins and place these into the deep baking tin.

Half fill the tray with boiling water. The water will surround the ramekins with heat and ensure even and gentle cooking. Bake in an oven at 120C for one hour. Remove and tap one ramekin to se if the custards are just set and are still a bit wobbly in the middle. If not, cook for a further ten to twenty minutes.
 
Allow them to cool to room temperature. When ready to serve, sprinkle one level teaspoon of caster sugar evenly over the surface of each crème, then caramelise with a mini blowtorch.  Leave to cool for a couple of minutes, and then serve.

Programme 8 - Tom opens his new pie & mash shop in Bristol

STEAK AND WALNUT PIE

Tom says: “This steak and walnut pie is a real favourite in my pie and mash shop. The walnuts are pickled in balsamic vinegar and they really give the flavour a lift. The quantities for this recipe will make more than enough filling for one 9-inch pie, but it’s best to be over generous to make sure you have enough. Any leftover filling can be frozen and at a later date, served on top a bed of mash, it makes another fantastic dish!”

Comment from Tom’s TV Producer, Howard Perks: “After we filmed Tom making this pie I took a couple of slices home for my wife and I to have for supper (eating Tom’s pies has been a lovely perk of this job).  I can honestly say it was perhaps the tastiest meat pie I have ever eaten!”

Serves 8

Ingredients
Pastry
250g butter
500g plain four
Pinch of butter
100ml water 
one beaten egg to glaze
9 inch crimped pie/quiche tin with a removable base

Filling
2 KG  diced beef skirt
300ml  vegetable oil
100g  tomato puree
1kg  chunky sliced white onions
1kg  chunky sliced carrot cubes
600ml  red wine
175g  flour
1250ml beef stock
100ml  Worcester sauce
200gm  pickled walnuts and their juice (sold in a jar pickled in balsamic vinegar)
one whole garlic bulb in its skin
one bouquet garni

Method
Pastry
Tom uses a magimix to make his pastry but the ingredients can easily be mixed by hand. For this recipe the pastry is blind-baked before the filling is added.

Put the butter, flour and salt into a magimix and pulse until breadcrumbs forms; add water a little at a time until you can see it starting to form at the bottom. Take the mixture out onto a floured surface and knead to give smooth firm dough. The dough can be used immediately but it is better if it is rested for 15 minutes.

Roll a bit more than half the pastry out onto a floured surface, until 3mm thick. Flour a quiche tin, fold the rolled pastry over a rolling pin and very carefully place it onto the top of the tin, gently work the pastry into the edges, lifting up the loose overlapping pastry from around the sides to avoid tearing the pastry around the rim. Gently push the pastry into the mould of the tin, until it fits snugly. Leave the spare pastry overlapping the sides. Make a few fork marks in the pastry, and place in a fridge to chill for 30 minutes.

At the same time chill the remaining pastry for later use as the pie top.

To blind-bake the pastry, place some parchment paper over the tin and pastry and place the baking beans/stones inside, on top. Put into an oven at 190°C for 30 minutes. Then remove the baking beans/stones and parchment and egg wash the pastry before returning it to the oven for another 5 minutes.  Allow to cool.

Filling
Heat a heavy-bottomed non-stick pan, pour in 2 tbs of oil and heat. Fry the meat and add seasoning until it has an even colour all over. Fry just a small amount at a time otherwise it will begin to poach in its own juices. Set aside the cooked meat in a large saucepan.

In the same frying pan, add a little more oil and fry the carrot cubes in the juices that remain from the meat. When these are browned off to an even colour add them to the meat in the saucepan.

Using frying pan once more, add a little more oil and fry the onions in the meat and carrot and juices until the golden brown. Add the tomato puree to the onions and mix. Pour in the red wine and simmer until the mixture has reduced by about a third.

When the red wine onion mixture is reduced, add the beef stock and reduce by about a third. Add the Worcester sauce and mix.

Meanwhile, put the saucepan with the meat and carrots onto another burner and begin to warm through. Into this meat mixture add the remaining oil and flour and mix.

Now combine everything together. Add to the meat half the onion mixture and stir, before adding the rest. Add the walnuts and juice and stir.

Tip the mixture into a deep baking tray and into this immerse the whole garlic and bouquet garni. Cover the tray with two layers of foil. Bake this in an oven at 190°C for two hours, stirring half way through.  Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool. Do not pour hot filling into the pastry case.

Take the blind-baked pastry case and trim the edges until they are flush with the tin rim and nice and tidy. Lift the case out of the tin but keep it sitting on its base.

When the pie mixture is cool, remove the garlic and bouquet garni, and spoon it into the pastry case until it is flush to the rim but with a raised mound in the middle.  You want the pie to have a gentle dome shape.

Take the remaining uncooked rolled pastry and paint on a water wash to help it stick. Watered side down, lay it over the top of the pie. Pinch the edges together and then trim the overlapping pastry half way down the sides of the pie.

Cut a 2-inch slit in the top to let the steam out and then paint egg wash all over. Tom says: “At this stage many people will like to decorate the top of the pie with left-over pastry cut into leaf shapes or the like. That’s just not my style. I like a nice plain top, but each to their own!”

Before baking allow the whole thing to rest for half an hour in the fridge. 

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes at 210°C.

Serve with simple mash and vegetables.

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