Shepherd’s Pie Fritters

Heat the butter and olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and fry the onion, carrot and celery for 4-6 minutes, until they have softened and started to take on some colour.

Add the lamb and the oregano or marjoram and cook, stirring, until the lamb is brown all over. Season with salt and pepper, then pour in the stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring every so often.

Splash in the Worcestershire sauce and check the seasoning. The finished mince mixture mustn’t be at all wet, as it will need to be held together with mashed potato. If it’s still a bit liquidy, turn up the heat and let it bubble away for a few minutes. Set aside and leave to cool.

While it’s cooling, place the potatoes in a large pan of salted water and boil for 15-20 minutes, until tender. Drain and mash until smooth.

Mix the hot mashed potato through the cold minced lamb until fully combined. Check the seasoning one more time before rolling into balls about 3cm in diameter.

Tip the flour into a shallow bowl, the beaten egg into another and the breadcrumbs into a third. Coat the shaped balls first in the flour, shaking off any excess, then coat in the egg and finally in the breadcrumbs. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 180°C. (Alternatively, pour the oil into a large, deep pan set over a medium heat). Cook the balls in batches of three or four for about 2-3 minutes, until golden brown and hot all the way through. Leave to cool slightly before serving with HP brown sauce.

Preparation time: 15 minutes. Chilling time: 30 minutes. Cooking time: 1 hour.