Easy Moroccan Australian Meat Pie

STEP 1: BUILD THE MOROCCAN MINCE

Warm the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Soften the brown onion for 6–8 minutes until translucent and sweet, then add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Raise the heat, add the beef mince and break it up with a wooden spoon, cooking for 8–10 minutes until it has lost all pinkness and is beginning to catch and brown in places. Don't rush this — the browning is most of the depth, and it is the one part of the filling that can't be shortened.

STEP 2: SPICE, SIMMER AND COOL

Add the ras el hanout, ground cumin, sweet paprika, ground cinnamon and harissa paste and fry for 60–90 seconds until fragrant — spices go into hot fat, not into liquid. Stir in the tomato paste and cook it out for 2 minutes until it darkens and smells sweet. Add the chopped tomatoes and beef stock, bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes until thick and glossy rather than soupy; a spoon dragged across the pan should leave a clear channel. Off the heat, stir in the lemon zest and juice, the flat-leaf parsley, the fine sea salt and the black pepper. Spread the filling out on a wide plate or tray and freeze for 20 minutes. It needs to be properly cold before it meets pastry — warm filling releases moisture into the base for the whole bake.

STEP 3: LINE AND BLIND BAKE THE BASES

While the filling chills, put a heavy baking tray in the oven and preheat to 400°F (200°C). Unroll the ready-rolled all-butter shortcrust pastry and cut four rounds generous enough to line the base and sides of the pie tins with a small overhang. Press into the tins, working the pastry into the corners without stretching it, and prick the bases all over with a fork. Line each shell with parchment paper and fill with baking beans right up the sides, then bake on the hot tray for 10 minutes. Lift out the parchment and beans; the bases should look dry, sandy and matte.

STEP 4: FILL, LID AND CRIMP

Unroll the ready-rolled puff pastry and cut four lids. Divide the cold filling between the bases, mounding it very slightly but keeping it below the rim. Brush the pastry edges with the beaten egg, lay on the lids, press firmly to seal and trim the excess. Crimp with a fork or your thumb, then cut one decisive slit in the centre of each lid so the filling has somewhere to send its moisture other than down into the base.

STEP 5: BAKE

Brush the lids generously with the remaining beaten egg. Bake on the preheated tray at 400°F (200°C) for 25 minutes until the tops are deep golden and the vents are venting freely. If the tops colour too fast, tent loosely with foil and keep going — finishing the base matters more than keeping the lid pale.

STEP 6: REST, MIX THE KETCHUP AND SERVE

Rest the pies in their tins for 10 minutes before turning out; the filling sets and stops sloshing, and the base firms as it dries. Meanwhile stir the tomato ketchup and the harissa paste together in a small bowl. Turn one pie out and tap the underside — it should be dry, golden and audibly crisp. Serve hot, with the harissa ketchup spooned over the top: the Moroccan answer to the squirt of tomato sauce that goes on an Australian pie.