Beef Wellingtons

• olive oil
• 1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced
• 1 stick celery, trimmed and finely chopped
• 1 pinch cumin
• 1 pinch chilli powder
• 500 g quality lean beef mince
• 200 g tinned kidney beans, drained
• 1 tablespoon tomato puree
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large free-range eggs, beaten in separate bowls
• 2 teaspoons plain flour
• 500 g puff pastry
• 1 handful Cheddar cheese, grated

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Heat a frying pan and add a splash of olive oil. Add the onion, carrot, garlic and celery, and cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes, until it's all softened nicely. Add the spices, mix well, cook for another minute, then transfer to a bowl to cool.

2. Once the vegetables have cooled completely, add the beef mince, kidney beans and tomato puree with a good pinch of salt and pepper and one of the beaten eggs. With clean hands, get right in there and scrunch everything together.

3. Dust a work surface and rolling pin with flour and roll out the puff pastry. Try to keep it as rectangular in shape as possible. Once it's roughly the size of a tea towel, cut it into 4. Spoon the meat mixture over each piece, leaving clear about 2cm along the bottom, and a small edge up either side. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the meat, brush the bottom edge of the pastry with beaten egg and roll it up into a spiral. Seal both ends with your fingers. Repeat until you have 4 lovely mini Wellingtons.

4. Dust a baking tray with flour and carefully place the Wellingtons on it. Brush each with the remaining beaten egg, and bake in the oven for 25 minutes until golden.