To marinate the diced steak:

1. Rinse and pat dry the cubed beef and then place into a large bowl.
2. Mix together the cornflour, paprika, cumin, mixed herbs, thyme, salt and pepper and rub into the beef using your hands. Ensure the meat is fully coated.
3. Use the Chopping Bowl Attachment of the Dualit 700W Hand Blender, place the peeled carrots, potato, swede and garlic into the bowl and finely chop.
4. Slice the the onion into thin slices and set aside. If using echalion shallots, peel and slice into thin rings.
5. If you prefer your steak to have a little extra heat, add 1 tsp of chili flakes to the bowl when coating the meat.
6. Add the sliced onions to the beef, cover the bowl with cling film and place in the fridge overnight to marinate if possible.

To make the pie:

1. Preheat the oven to 170º/150º fan
2. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan and gently fry the chopped vegetable mix until softened. Set this to one side.
3. Add one tbsp of olive oil to a hob and oven proof casserole dish. Allow the oil to heat up before adding the marinated beef, gently turning to brown all sides for a few minutes.
4. Once the meat is sealed, add the fried vegetable mix to the dish and stir well.
5. In a separate jug, add the tomato puree, crumble in the stock cube and then pour in 400ml of boiling water. Stir well. Once dissolved, pour the stock into the casserole dish and stir.
6. Add the bay leaves and Worcester sauce, then cover with a lid.
7. Place the casserole dish on the middle shelf of the oven and cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
8. If required, add and additional 100ml of water at the end of the cooking time, stir and then place back into the oven for a further 15 minutes.
9. After cooking, allow to rest and cool before placing in a medium pie dish (10 x 6') or 2 smaller individual dishes.
10. Increase the heat of the oven to 180º/160º fan.
11. Fill the dish level to the top with the filling and cut the pastry half an inch larger than the dish.
12. Cover the top with the pastry and gently press down. Leaving excess pastry around the top, make a cross or cut diagonal slits along the top. This allows steam to escape and keep the pastry crisp. Brush with a little melted butter or milk and place on a baking tray in the oven.
13. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and golden brown.
14. Enjoy piping hot! For a healthy side, kale and spring greens sautéed in a little butter and garlic is a delicious pairing.

Top Tips...

• The flavour of this dish matures beautifully! Save some for the next day and pair with some tasty chive mash.
• Make individual pies and freeze, adding the pastry once they have defrosted just before baking.
• If a pastry base is preferred, use a shortcrust pastry, roll thinly and blind bake for 20 minutes. Allow the pastry to overhang the dish, as it will shrink and allow to cool before adding filling.
• If you decide not to blind bake the pastry first, a good tip is to very thinly slice a raw potato and lay over the top of the pastry, then add filling and pastry lid. The potato soaks up most of the liquid allowing the pastry to remain crisp.
• Remember to remove bay leaves before serving.
• Use the casserole dish to make a large pie by simply cutting and placing the pastry on top of the dish.
• Cutting the pastry slightly larger than the dish allows for shrinkage.
• Minced beef is a great alternative to cubed steak, this option is cooked on the hob for a shorter period and placed straight into the pie dish for baking.