Mary Berry has a recipe for a delicious beef and aubergine pie, made with a deliciously crisp, golden filo topping, that can easily become a staple at home.
The legendary chef first shared the dish, which serves 6 to 8 people and is ideal for family dinners, on BBC 2’s Mary Makes It Easy.
Ingredients
4 tbsp sunflower oil
2 onions, diced
400g (14oz) lean minced beef
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 tbsp tomato purée
2 × 400g tins chopped tomatoes
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½ tsp sugar
2 small aubergines, cut into slices 1cm (½in) thick
1 × 280g tub full-fat cream cheese
4 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
1 tbsp freshly chopped thyme
For the filo topping:
4 large sheets of filo pastry
30g (1oz) butter, melted
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C Fan/Gas Mark 6) and prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with non-stick baking paper. Make sure to have a shallow round dish on hand, approximately 28cm (11 inches) wide (with a capacity of about 1.75 litres/3 pints).
In a large frying pan, heat half of the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 3–4 minutes until softened. Add the minced meat and cook over high heat until browned, using two wooden spoons to break it up as it cooks. Introduce two-thirds of the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato purée, chopped tomatoes, and sugar, ensuring they are well combined. Cover the pan with a lid, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 1 hour until the meat is tender.
While the meat mixture simmers, place the aubergine slices on the lined baking sheet and drizzle them with the remaining oil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast them in the preheated oven for approximately 20–25 minutes, turning them halfway through, until they are lightly browned and soft.
Transfer the cream cheese into a bowl and combine it with the remaining garlic and half of the parsley. Season the mixture generously with salt and pepper.
Season the minced meat mixture with salt and pepper, then stir in the thyme and the rest of the parsley. Spoon half of the mixture into the base of the round dish. Next, arrange a single layer of aubergine slices on top of the meat. Dot the cream cheese mixture over the aubergine and spread it out evenly. Finally, top with the remaining minced meat mixture.
Lay out the filo pastry sheets on a work surface. Brush each sheet generously with melted butter. Then, cut the sheets in half, resulting in eight pieces of filo pastry.
Gently scrunch the filo pastry sheets and arrange them on top of the pie, ensuring the surface is completely covered. Place the pie in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 25–30 minutes, or until the pastry is crisp and golden brown, and the minced meat mixture is bubbling.
