Mince on Toast
Photography Manja Wachsmuth.
The Italians spoon mince over pasta, Kiwis pile it onto toast. It was a regular dish when I was growing up and my mother would always make a double recipe (her secret was adding a glass or two of red wine), and with a bit of imagination it appeared as a completely different meal later in the week.
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
600 grams good beef mince
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 stick celery, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1½ cups beef stock
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
small handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
To serve
wilted spinach or silverbeet, optional
toasted ciabatta
fried or poached eggs, optional
tomato relish
METHOD
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan and cook the onion, carrot and celery with a good pinch of salt until very tender and lightly golden. Add the mince, breaking it up so there are no large lumps and cook for 5 minutes. Increase the heat and stir in the tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute then add the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, sugar and garlic and combine well.
Add the stock and season well. Bring to the boil then simmer briskly for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until reduced and glossy. At this point I like to roughly crush the mixture with a potato masher as it makes for a finer textured mince and brings the flavours together.
To serve: Pile straight onto buttered toast or top the toast with wilted greens then the mince, a fried or poached egg and a spoonful of relish.
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