Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large saucepan. Add the carrot, onion and celery and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the wine, thyme, garlic and 2 bay leaves. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to cool. Add a touch more oil to the frying pan and fry the chopped onion over a low heat for 5–6 minutes, stirring often until softened. Stir the garlic into the pan and cook for 1 minute more. Add the remaining butter and mushrooms to the pan and cook for 2–3 minutes over a fairly high heat until golden brown, turning often. Cut the braising steak into chunky pieces, each around 4–5cm/1½–2in. Trim off any really hard fat or sinew. Season the beef really well with salt and pepper. My view is yes, flavour is sacrificed to convenience, if all you are prepared to do is bung the ingredients in an earthenware pot and hope for the best. I've been putting mine to the test over the past few months and one of the first things I realised is that a little preparation is needed for good results. Meat needs browning, pulses need soaking, vegetables need to be sautéed first (as apparently 10 hours of cooking won't always render them soft).

Place the beef in a large bowl and pour over the wine marinade. Cover and place in the fridge overnight. This is known as a cook marinade. Using a rolling pin, lift the pastry and place it over the top of the pie dish. Trim and crimp the edges with your fingers and thumb. Heat 25g/1oz butter and 1 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan. Add the bacon and cook until golden and brown. Add the shallots and transfer to a large casserole dish.

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Brush the surface with the beaten egg mixture and bake for 30-40 minutes until golden-brown and puffed.

Add oil to a pan, then add the onion and cook for 3 minutes until starting to brown. Add the lamb and stir for another couple of minutes to brown the outside. Add the carrots, yellow pepper, tomatoes, mint, cinnamon, cumin, chilli flakes, 200ml water and salt. What is tagine stew? When you are almost ready to serve, boil the carrots and turnips for eight to ten minutes; steam the cabbage for eight to ten minutes and the green leek tops (but don’t mix with the cabbage) for the last three minutes, until all the vegetables are just tender. In a separate frying pan, heat the remaining oil and brown the cubes of lamb on all sides then add the browned meat to the casserole dish. De-glaze the frying pan with ¼ pint of tomato juice and add these juices to the pan.Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp of argan (or vegetable) oil in a large casserole dish. Add the grated onion and the remaining spice mix and cook over a gentle heat for 10 minutes so that the onions are soft but not coloured. Add the crushed garlic for the final 3 minutes. Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan. Fry the beef in three batches over a medium–high heat until nicely browned on all sides, turning every now and then and adding more oil if necessary. As soon as the beef is browned, transfer to a large flameproof casserole. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the lamb and brown on both sides over a high heat for about six minutes. Lift out and put on a plate.