Pie and Mash

This isn't a soup recipe but it's by far the best thing I've ever cooked. It's not particularly quick, simple, cheap or healthy, but it's well worth it. You could make regular mashed potatoes to go with this, but the flavours in this version go really well with the pie. If someone tells you that you should always make pastry from scratch, they're wrong and they're awful. Shop-bought pastry is fine. Everyone knows this. I served this pie with honey and thyme roasted baby carrots and steamed savoy cabbage. This recipe serves 4

Pie Ingredients

5-600g shin beef or stewing steak cut into 1 inch cubes
350ml Badger beer 'Poacher's Choice' (or another dark beer)
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2tsp black peppercorns
2 tsp garlic puree

(Marinate these ingredients together overnight in a non-metal bowl. Tie the herbs together with a piece of string.)

2 tbsp seasoned flour
4 rashers streaky bacon, cut into lardons
knob of butter
12-15 small round shallots, peeled
1 pack button mushrooms
1 litre decent beef stock
2 tbsp tomato puree
2tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2tsp dried mixed herbs
2 bay leaves
1 pack puff pastry
1 beaten egg

Fry off the bacon in a big frying pan until crisp, then transfer it into a large stew pot.

Strain off the beef, retaining the beer and the herbs. Coat the beef in the flour and brown it off in the bacon fat over a high heat. you may need to do this in a couple of batches. Transfer the browned meat into your stew pot.

Add a knob of butter to the frying pan and brown the shallots and mushrooms. Sprinkle over any remaining flour. Transfer the veg into the pot.

De-glaze the frying pan with the beer and then add it to your pot with the meat and veg. Add the herbs from the marinade, as well as all the other ingredients, bar the beef stock. Top up the stew with stock as and when it is needed.

Either simmer the stew on a low heat on the stove, or put it in the oven at gas mark 3 for about 2 and a half hours, till the beef is tender. When it is done, you should have a thick stew. Season to taste.

Using a slotted spoon, add the meat and veg to a pie dish, and pour over some of the liquid from the pot, making sure to remove the bay leaves, rosemary and thyme. You should have a fair bit of the liquid left over. Retain this.

Roll out your puff pastry, cover the pie dish, and glaze with the beaten egg.

Pop it in the oven at gas mark 5 for about half an hour, or till the pastry is golden brown.

When you're ready to serve, heat up the remaining liquid with a bit more beef stock for a gravy.


Mash Ingredients

4 baking potatoes
4-6 finely chopped spring onions
knob butter
2 heaped tsp wholegrain mustard
Splash single cream
handful chopped chives

Boil and mash the potatoes as you normally would.
Soften the spring onions in the butter a little, then stir them into the mash along with the other ingredients, and plenty of seasoning.