Condensed soup is a good base for a ready-made sauce. Cream of mushroom, asparagus and celery can all be used this way. Dilute with 1/2 quantity of liquid called for in soup using milk. These make excellent pouring sauces to be handed round separately. A tablespoon of cooking sherry added at the last minute makes the sauce something special.
ingredients
serves 6
13 ounce shortcrust pastry
1/2 can (10 1/2 oz) condensed mushroom soup (undiluted)
5 tablespoons tomato ketchup
1 medium egg, beaten
1 small onion, skinned and chopped
salt and pepper
1/4 cup flour
4 heaped tablespoons fresh white breadcrumbs
1 1/2 pound raw minced beef
cucumber and scallions to garnish
method
1. Preheat oven to moderately hot, 190°C (375°F).
2. Roll out the pastry; cut off a third, use rest to line a 0.5 kilo (1 lb) loaf tin.
3. Mix the rest of the ingredients together (reserve a little egg to glaze) and put into pastry-lined tin.
4. Wet edges of pastry in tin with a little egg.
5. Use reserved pastry to make a lid and put in position.
6. Press pastry edges well to seal. Brush with egg.
7. Bake loaf, in centre of the preheated oven, for 1 1/2 hours, covering pastry with foil after the first 40 minutes.
8. Leave to cool in the tin.
9. Turn out to serve when cold.
10. Garnish with cucumber and scallions if liked.
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