Sweetcorn-Crusted Beef and Chicken Bake with Olives and Egg

Blend and cook the corn. Blend the corn and milk until mostly smooth but with a little texture left, then tip it into the medium saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat for 12-15 minutes, stirring often and scraping the base, until it thickens to a porridge-like consistency. The corn's own starch is what thickens it, so steady stirring stops it catching. Off the heat, stir in the butter, basil and 1/2 tsp salt.

Poach the chicken. Bring the chicken and water to a bare simmer in the small saucepan, cover and cook gently for 15-20 minutes until the thickest part reaches 74°C on a thermometer. A gentle simmer rather than a hard boil keeps the thighs tender instead of tough. Shred into bite-sized pieces and keep 200 ml of the cooking liquid for the beef.

Soften the onions. Heat the oil in the frying pan over medium heat and cook the onions for 10 minutes until soft and starting to turn golden. Cooking them slowly first mellows their sharpness into a sweetness that underpins the whole filling. Stir occasionally so they colour evenly rather than catching in patches.

Brown the mince. Turn the heat up, add the beef mince and cook for 8-10 minutes, breaking it up as you go, until it's cooked through with no raw patches left and a thermometer reads 71°C. Browning it properly before adding liquid builds a deeper, more savoury flavour than simmering it from raw would.

Simmer the filling. Stir in the cumin, paprika and flour and cook for 1 minute to toast the spices, then pour in the reserved liquid with 1/2 tsp salt and the pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes until thick and juicy rather than wet - the flour binds the liquid into a sauce that won't make the topping soggy.

Boil and cool the eggs. Lower the eggs into boiling water and cook for 10 minutes until the yolks are fully set, then cool in iced water before peeling and quartering. The quick chill stops further cooking and makes the eggs much easier to peel cleanly.

Layer the bake. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Spread the beef filling over the base of the baking dish, scatter over the chicken, egg quarters, olives and raisins, then spread the corn mixture evenly on top and sprinkle with the sugar. The sugar helps the corn crust catch and lightly caramelise as it bakes.

Bake until bubbling. Set the dish on the tray and bake for 30-35 minutes until it's bubbling at the edges and a thermometer in the centre reads 74°C. For a deeper golden top, finish under the grill (broiler) for 2-4 minutes, watching closely so the corn doesn't catch.

Rest before serving. Leave the bake to rest for 10 minutes before serving. This short pause gives the filling a moment to settle so it holds together on the plate instead of spilling out as soon as it's spooned.