Savoury Beef Cobbler

Minced beef and chickpeas make a great combination in this savoury stew with a scone topping.

This recipe could be easily adapted by substituting or replacing 2 or 3 ingredients to give the Savoury Beef Cobbler flavours from around the world.

See some ideas in the ‘Something to try next time’ section.

Ingredients

50g mushrooms
1 medium onion
1 medium carrot
250g lean minced beef, chicken, lamb OR vegetarian alternative
1 x 15ml spoon plain flour
½ x 5ml spoon mixed herbs
1 reduced-salt vegetable stock cube
250ml boiling water
1 x 400g can chickpeas
2 x 15ml spoons
tomato purée

Scone topping
50g unsaturated fat spread
125g self-raising flour
plus extra for rolling out
1 x 5ml spoon mixed dried herbs
75ml milk
2 x 15ml spoons milk for glazing

Equipment

Weighing scales
Clean, damp cloth
Chopping board
Vegetable peeler
Sharp knife
Medium saucepan
Wooden spoon
Measuring spoons
Kettle
Measuring jug
Can opener
Colander
Mixing bowl
Sieve
Palette knife
Rolling pin
6cm pastry cutter
Ovenproof dish
Pastry brush
Oven gloves
Pan stand

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan or gas mark 5.
2. Wipe the mushrooms with a clean, damp cloth.
3. Peel the onion and carrots. Finely chop the onion and chop the carrot and mushrooms into ½–1cm pieces.
4. Put the onions, carrots and minced beef in the saucepan and cook over a medium heat until the meat is browned, stirring the ingredients together.
5. When the meat has browned, stir in the mushrooms and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes.
6. Add the flour and mixed herbs and cook, stirring for 1 minute.
7. Measure 250ml of boiling water into the measuring jug, crumble in the stock cube and stir to dissolve.
8. Pour the stock into the saucepan together with the drained chickpeas and tomato purée and stir until boiling, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
9. To make the cobbler topping, sift the flour into a mixing bowl and add the spread.
10. Using clean hands, rub the spread into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
11. Add the dried herbs. Gradually add the milk and mix to a soft dough using the palette knife.
12. Roll out on a floured board to 1cm thick and cut into rounds with the pastry cutter.
13. Pour the meat mixture into an ovenproof dish and arrange the scones on top.
14. Glaze the scones with milk and bake in the oven for 12–18 minutes until the scones are well risen and golden brown.

Skills used include:
Weighing, measuring, peeling, chopping, sifting, rubbing-in, mixing/combining, rolling, boiling/simmering, frying and baking.

Top Tips

• Keep the dough circles thin so they cover the dish and try to overlap them slightly. If you are feeling creative, try making a
  pattern with them!
• Making the cobbler topping with wholemeal flour will add fibre to the scones. Use all or half self raising wholemeal flour. You may have to add another 10-15ml of milk as wholemeal flour absorbs more liquid than white flour.

Something to try next time

Try adapting some of the ingredients to include flavours from around the world such as:

• Greece – Use lamb mince, a 400g can of chopped tomatoes instead of the water, and swap 1 chopped green pepper and a chopped aubergine for the mushrooms and carrot. Flavour with dried oregano instead of mixed herbs and add a few chopped olives to the scone topping.
• Mexico – Make a vegetarian version by swapping a 400g can of drained red kidney beans for the meat. Instead of carrots and mushrooms, add chopped red and green peppers, a chopped red chilli and a 400g can of chopped tomatoes.
• Spain/Portugal – Use chopped onions and peppers and add a 400g can of chopped tomatoes instead of the water. Add a drained 400g can of canellini beans to the meat mixture with a few chopped olives.

Prepare now, eat later

• Prepare the Cobbler up to step 9. Cool the meat mixture as quickly as possible and store, covered, in the fridge for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to cook the Cobbler, finish mixing the scone topping and bake for 30–40 minutes until golden and bubbling hot.
• Make the Cobbler but don’t bake in the oven and cool quickly then store, covered, in the freezer for up to 1 month. If cooking from frozen, bake for 50 minutes and check that the meat is piping hot in the middle before serving.