Deluxe Steak Pie by Delizique in Glasgow

Serves 6

If you haven’t had your New Year Steak Pie yet and fancy making a really special one, then this is for you. It tastes better made the day before if you like to get ahead, then all you have to do is pop it in the oven and cook the vegetables. This would make quite a centrepiece decorated with pastry numerals of the new year.

Ingredient

60g beef dripping

3 medium onions, sliced

25g dried wild mushrooms, soaked in warm water for 20 minutes

2 tablespoons olive oil

150g bacon bits or Italian cubetti di pancetta

900g beef shoulder steak, trimmed and cut into 2 cm cubes

40g plain flour, seasoned

300ml good dark beef stock

300ml Scottish ale (not too dark)

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon dried mixed herbs

2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

500g pack-bought puff pastry (thawed if frozen)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4.

Melt 40 g dripping in a large flameproof casserole until no longer sizzling. Add the onions and fry over a high heat for about 5 minutes until nicely golden. Remove from the heat. Drain the wild mushrooms, reserving the water; rinse and chop them then add to the onions. Add the mushroom water to the beef stock.

Heat a large frying pan until hot; add the olive oil, then stir-fry the bacon for a few minutes until golden then add to the onions in the casserole.

Put the beef into a polythene bag with the seasoned flour and shake until the cubes are well coated. Melt the remaining butter in the frying pan, then quickly brown the beef well on all sides. Transfer to the casserole.

Now pour the stock and ale/beer to the frying pan, bring up to the boil and scrape up all the browned bits sticking to the bottom of the pan - these will help to flavour

the gravy. Boil for 1-2 minutes then pour into the casserole. Add the bay leaf, dried herbs and plenty of seasoning (especially pepper) and mix well.

Cover the casserole with a tight-fitting lid and bake for 1 - 1 ½ hours until the meat is tender. Allow to cool completely then chill.

To finish the pie, pre-heat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/Gas 6. Stir the chopped parsley into the filling and spoon into the ashet pie dish. Mound the meat in the centre or place a pie funnel in the centre.

Roll out the pastry a good 5cm bigger than the top of the dish. Line the rim of the dish with a thin strip of pastry. Brush the pastry rim with beaten egg. Lift the remaining pastry over the dish (cutting a small slit for the pie funnel to poke through) and place on top of the dish, pressing the edges together to seal.

Trim with a sharp knife and knock up, then scallop the edges. Decorate with pastry trimmings and make a steam hole in the centre if not using a pie funnel. Brush with more beaten egg and chill for 30 minutes or more.

Just before cooking, brush the pastry once more with beaten egg. Set the pie on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until the pastry is risen and golden brown. Serve with lots of mashed potatoes, and mounds of buttered, parslied

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