Desperate Dan Pie

Photo © Anne-Marie Minhall

Well, sort of ..

I LOVED The Beano. Particularly the Christmas Annual which I savoured for months afterwards.

I modelled myself on Minnie the Minx (ahem). I also loved Dennis the Menace & Gnasher, The Bash Street Kids, Billy Whizz & The Numskulls (also a Robert favourite).

I really miss comics. That excitement of getting your pocket money, (having swept the chimney), & rushing to the newsagent to get the new copy on a Saturday morning.

As February prepares to bid farewell, the days are still a little chilly.

Beef Pie with Celeriac, Potato & Horseradish.

Leftovers lasted me 3 days.

Oven on 160ºC/140F/Gas 3

300g Stewing Steak cubed

3/4 Carrots peeled & cut into chunks

2 Parsnips ditto

2 Sticks of Celery chopped

3/4 Garlic Cloves peeled & sliced

1 tbsp Plain Flour

300ml Beef or Vegetable Stock

Celeriac 150g peeled & grated (use a processor for this otherwise it'll take you a weekend to do, feisty beast, talking of which ..)

2tbsps Horseradish peeled & grated

1 Potato as above

20g Butter

Season the beefy cubes & brown them in an oiled pan (not too hot)

Batches is best so you don't end up boiling the meat

Carrots, parsnips & celery go in next, give them about 10 minutes to get some colour

Garlic is next in the pot

Stir in the flour & let it colour

Your stock needs to follow now & gently cook for 15 minutes

Take the pan off the heat & pour that meaty, veggie mix into a pie dish

Melt the butter & add to the grated celeriac, horseradish & potato

Season

Oven-bound for 1 & 1/4 hours

I had some peas with it.

Do you remember getting free gifts with the comics? I seem to recall a sheet of stickers from Whizzer & Chips.

AMM