RUDOLPH'S PIE (SHEPHERD'S PIE)

Steps:

• Pour 500ml of near boiling water over the porcini mushrooms and leave to steep.
• Warm oil into very large thick bottomed pan and add the chopped onions, carrots and minced garlic.
• Cook, stirring for about 10 minutes.
• Drain the porcini, reserving the soaking liquid.
• Chop coarsely and add with the button mushrooms to the vegetable mixture.
• After about 5 minutes tip the whole lot out to brown the meat.
• Add a little more oil to the pan, then tip in the minced meats, breaking them up with a wooden spoon.
• Stir for about 5 minutes until the rawness has left them a bit, and salt-unstintingly-and then return the vegetable mixture to the pan.
• Stir in flour and add the mushroom-soaking liquid, tinned tomatoes, diluted puree, Marsala and a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce.
• Stir well, cover partly with a lid and reduce heat so that the mince bubbles gently, for about 40 minutes to an hour.
• Meanwhile boil the spuds in a large pan of salted water until half way done, add the parsnips.
• Boil until done, drain, allow to dry a bit.
• Warm the milk and melt the butter in the heat of the potato pan.
• Rice or mash the potatoes and parsnips straight into this.
• Grate in some fresh nutmeg and add salt to taste.
• Put the mince into a large dish approximately 37cm x 32cm, then dollop the potato mash on top.
• Spread to edges and make fork lines on top.
• Dot with butter and sprinkle with Worcestershire sauce.
• Cook around 10 minutes in a 225C oven.
• You want the top golden.