Beef, mushroom and ale pie

Ingredients

1kg diced beef shin (sinew removed)

Flour for dusting

200g sliced mushrooms

50ml oil

150g white onion finely chopped

12g garlic crushed

5g thyme

1 bayleaf

Ingredients

150g white onion chopped
150g carrot chopped
12g garlic
50g celery chopped
5g thyme
1 bay leaf
100g red wine
1ltr water
75g Essential Cuisine No.1 beef gravy mix
300ml good ale

Ingredients

340g butter
510g self raising flour
Water to make dough

In a pan roast all the gravy vegetables and garlic.

Add the herbs, then the red wine and reduce by 2/3rds.

Add the water and whisk in the Essential Cuisine No.1 beef gravy mix.

Bring to boil and simmer for 2 minutes, whisking constantly.

Strain and set aside.

Dust the beef with flour and quickly fry until golden brown, strain off any excess oil.

Set aside.

In a thick bottom pan sweat the pie filling onion, garlic and herbs.

Add the strained beef.

Add the ale and stir in.

Add the gravy, mix in and cook slowly in the oven on 150°c for about 2-3 hours or until the meat is tender, chill until needed.

For the puff pastry chop the butter into the sieved flour with a knife until it forms a breadcrumb texture, add to the water to make a dough, knead for two minutes.

Roll into a rectangle, fold both ends into the middle then fold over itself to make a ‘book’ shape - repeat three times.

When ready, roll out the pastry to about 1cm thick. Line pie tin, pushing into the corners.

Fill to the top with the pie filling and cover with the rest of the pastry, ensuring you pinch the tops together to create a seal.

Brush with egg wash and rest in the fridge for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 170°c. Brush the pie with egg wash again before putting in the oven.

Bake for about 1.5 hours or until the pastry looks a dark golden brown and feels hard to the touch.