Family Meat Pie

Step 1: Combine beef and flour in a bowl.

Step 2: Heat oil in a saucepan over moderate heat and cook beef, in batches for 3 minutes or until browned and transfer to a heatproof plate.

Step 3: Add onion, garlic, carrot and parsnips to pan and cook and stir for 4 minutes or until onion is soft and then add tomato paste, crumbled stock cubes and boiling water and bring to the boil.

Step 4: Return beef to the pan and reduce heat, simmer, covered for 1 hour and then add potato and simmer, covered for a further 45 minutes or until beef and potato are tender and stir in thyme and cool for 15 minutes.

Step 5: Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan forced.

Step 6: Spoon beef mixture into a 2.5 litre (10 cup) rectangular ovenproof dish.

Step 7: Roll pastry out between sheets of baking paper until 5mm thick and large enough to fit over dish.

Step 8: Brush edge of dish with egg, top with pastry and trim any excess pastry, press edges to seal,

Step 9: Using a small, sharp knife, cut 6 slits approximately 3cm long into top (this will allow steam to escape),

Step 10: Re-roll remaining pastry until about 5mm thick and using a leaf shaped cook cutter, cut leaves from pastry and decorate top of pie with leaves and brush with remaining egg.

Step 11: Bake for 50 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.