Steak, mushroom, and ale pie

Special equipment • 1 quart (1.1 liter) pie dish

SERVES 4

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

2lb (900g) round, chuck, or Swiss steak, chopped into bite-size pieces

a few sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves

picked and finely chopped

1 Bovril or other beef bullion cube

1 tbsp all-purpose flour

2/3 cup pale ale

1¼ cups hot water

2 tbsp butter

7oz (200g) mushrooms, quartered

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

half of a 17.3oz (425g) box frozen puff pastry sheets (1 sheet), thawed as package directs

all-purpose flour

1 egg, lightly beaten, for egg wash

Method:

1 Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the meat and cook, stirring, for 4–6 minutes until browned. Add the rosemary, crumble in the bullion cube, and sprinkle in the flour. Stir until well combined. Increase the heat to high, and add a little of the ale, stirring all the time. Pour in the remaining ale, and let bubble for a couple of minutes. Add the hot water, and bubble for a few minutes more. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, so that the meat doesn’t stick to the pan. If the mixture dries out too much, add a little more hot water.

2 Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Melt the butter in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, and cook for 4-6 minutes until golden. Stir the mushrooms and their juices into the meat mixture. Season well with salt and pepper.

3 Spoon the meat filling into the pie dish. On a floured work surface, roll out the pastry so there is a border all around, extending about 2in (5cm) beyond the pie dish. Cut out a strip of pastry about 1in (2.5cm) in from the edge to make a collar. Moisten the edge of the pie dish with a little water; fit the pastry strip all the way around, and press down firmly. Brush the pastry collar with a little of the egg wash, then top with the pastry lid. Trim away the excess. Using your finger and thumb, pinch the edges together to seal.

4 Brush the top of the pie with the egg wash, and make 2 slits in the top with a sharp knife to allow steam to escape. Bake 20–30 minutes until the pastry is puffed and golden. Serve hot with creamy mashed potatoes.

Steak, mushroom, and ale pie