Beef And Stilton Pie

Total Time: 4 hrs 10 mins Preparation Time: 3 hrs 30 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 250 g puff pastry (buy it pre-prepared, lifes too short to make puff pastry)
• 1 kg braising steak, cut into chunks
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed
• 1 small bunch fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 400 ml leicestershire pale ale
• 2 tablespoons plain flour, seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 100 g chestnut button mushrooms
• 8 shallots, peeled, halved
• 500 ml beef stock
• 75 g stilton cheese, crumbled
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1 egg, beaten (for glazing the pastry)

Recipe

• 1 use the pastry to line a medium sized oven proof pie dish.
• 2 for the pie filling, place the beef, garlic, thyme, peppercorns and ale into a bowl. cover with cling film and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours, but preferably overnight.
• 3 remove the beef from the marinade, pat dry with kitchen paper and dredge in the seasoned flour. strain the marinade through a fine sieve into a clean bowl and set aside.
• 4 heat the oil and 1 tbsp of the butter in a flameproof casserole dish and fry the beef in small batches for 2-3 minutes each time, or until browned all over. once the meat is browned, remove from the casserole dish and set aside.
• 5 return the casserole dish to the heat and fry the mushrooms and shallots for 4-5 minutes, or until softened.
• 6 return the beef and the reserved marinating liquid to the casserole and add the beef stock. cover with a lid and gently simmer for 1½ hours, or until the beef is tender.
• 7 strain off half of the cooking liquid from the casserole dish and set aside to make gravy for serving.
• 8 crumble the stilton into the casserole and stir until melted. season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper and set aside to cool.
• 9 preheat the oven to 180c/350f/gas 4.
• 10 put the pie filling into the pie shell and top with a layer of pastry. -remember to cut slits in the top and crimp the edges together, then glaze with beaten egg.
• 11 cook for approx 40 mins until pastry is golden.
• 12 place the reserved cooking liquid into a clean pan and simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until reduced to a gravy consistency. stir in the remaining tbsp of butter until melted, and the sauce is smooth and glossy. keep warm.
• 13 serve the pie with the gravy and veg (celeriac mash goes well).