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Moroccan-spiced cottage pies

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moroccan spiced cottage pies

Ingredients

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small carrot, chopped
pinch of cayenne pepper
10 cardamom pods, green pods discarded and black seeds ground
10 cloves, ground
2 tsp cinnamon
500g lean beef mince
1 tbsp tomato purée
500ml beef or chicken stock
1kg floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper
400g can chickpeas
75g butter
4 tbsp milk
3 tsp za’atar (a mix of Middle Eastern herbs and spices, often made with marjoram, oregano, ground sumac, cumin and sesame seeds)
200g frozen peas
small pack parsley, chopped

Direction

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onion, garlic, carrot, spices and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook for 10-15 mins on a low heat until softened. If the onion starts to brown, add a splash of water. Meanwhile, cook the mince in a large frying pan until brown and starting to caramelise. Stir the beef in with the onion, add the tomato purée and stock, and simmer for 30 mins until most of the stock has been absorbed. While the beef is cooking, peel and cut the potatoes into chunks. Tip into a saucepan and cover with cold salted water. Bring to the boil, then turn down and simmer for 20 mins. Drain the potatoes and mash together with the chickpeas, butter, milk and za’atar. Stir the peas into the mince and simmer for 2 more mins, then take off the heat and stir in the chopped parsley. Divide between 4 small freezer-proof pie dishes. Top each with mashed potato and rough up the top with a fork. If serving straight away, put the pies on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 30 mins. To freeze, leave the pies to cool completely, then wrap well in cling film and foil. To cook from frozen, put the pies on a baking tray in a cold oven, turn to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and cook for 1 hr-1 hr 20 mins until piping hot.

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Halve the onion, then cut each half into crescent moon-shaped wedges about 2cm thick at the thickest part. Heat the oil in a casserole dish. Cook the onion until soft and pale gold, then add the garlic, chillis and ginger, and cook for 2 mins more. Stir in the coconut cream, stock and some seasoning. Heat carefully, but don’t let it boil.

Add the pumpkin and potato, season again, then add the coriander stalks. Simmer until the pumpkin and potatoes are tender. Use a wooden spoon to squash some of the pumpkin if you want to to thicken the stew a little, but don’t break it down too much (you don’t want a purée).

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Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Fry the onion on a low heat for 5-6 mins until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 min more. Stir in the harissa, add the chicken and cook until well browned all over. Stir in the carrot, lentils and tomatoes, then add the stock so the chicken is fully immersed. Reduce the heat and cook, uncovered, for 30-35 mins until the chicken is thoroughly cooked, and the lentils are tender and have absorbed the liquid. Season well, scatter with parsley (if using) and serve.

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Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Pour cold water over the bread and set aside to soak. Meanwhile, fry the onions in the butter, stirring regularly for 10 mins until they are soft and starting to colour. Add the garlic and beef and stir well, crushing the mince into fine grains until it changes colour. Stir in the curry paste, herbs, spices, chutney, sultanas and 2 of the bay leaves with 1 tsp salt and plenty of ground black pepper. Cover and simmer for 10 mins. Squeeze the water from the bread, then beat into the meat mixture until well blended. Tip into an oval ovenproof dish (23 x 33cm and about 5-6cm deep). Press the mixture down well and smooth the top. You can make this and chill 1 day ahead. For the topping, beat the milk and eggs with seasoning, then pour over the meat. Top with the remaining bay leaves and bake for 35-40 mins until the topping is set and starting to turn golden.

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Halve the onion, then cut each half into crescent moon-shaped wedges about 2cm thick at the thickest part. Heat the oil in a casserole dish. Cook the onion until soft and pale gold, then add the garlic, chillis and ginger, and cook for 2 mins more. Stir in the coconut cream, stock and some seasoning. Heat carefully, but don’t let it boil.

Add the pumpkin and potato, season again, then add the coriander stalks. Simmer until the pumpkin and potatoes are tender. Use a wooden spoon to squash some of the pumpkin if you want to to thicken the stew a little, but don’t break it down too much (you don’t want a purée).

Add the prawns and spinach. Cook gently until the prawns are opaque, about 3 mins. Stir in the lime juice, sugar and fish sauce. Taste the stew, then adjust the flavour with more lime or fish sauce as needed. Roughly chop the coriander leaves, then stir them through. Top each portion of the stew with some sliced red chilli, and serve with lime wedges on the side.

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Spicy harissa chicken with lentils

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Fry the onion on a low heat for 5-6 mins until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 min more. Stir in the harissa, add the chicken and cook until well browned all over. Stir in the carrot, lentils and tomatoes, then add the stock so the chicken is fully immersed. Reduce the heat and cook, uncovered, for 30-35 mins until the chicken is thoroughly cooked, and the lentils are tender and have absorbed the liquid. Season well, scatter with parsley (if using) and serve.

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