Beef, stilton and Guinness pie
If you make just one recipe this month it's got to be this rich, meaty pie with crisp, cheesy pastry from Chef Ben O’Donoghue. You can even make cheese straws from the scrap pastry!
- 1kg braising beeftrimmed of excess fat and cut into large chunks
- 2 cloves garlicchopped
- a small bunch thymeleaves stripped
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 500ml can Guinness
- 6 tbsp flourseasoned
- 8 shallotshalved
- 500g puff pastryfresh or frozen (defrosted)
- 100g stiltoncrumbled (Colston Basset is good)
- 1 beaten eggto glaze
Method
step 1
Cut 1kg braising beef into large chunks.
Put the beef, 2 chopped cloves of garlic, a small bunch of thyme leaves, 1 tbsp black peppercorns and 500ml Guinness into a bowl.
Cover and marinate for 2 hours.step 2
Take out the beef, pat dry and toss in 6 tbsp flour. Strain the marinade and keep the liquid.
Heat some oil in a casserole dish and brown the beef all over.
Remove, brown 8 halved shallots in the dish, then return the beef and the marinade to the pan.
Cover and simmer for about 1½ hours or until tender.step 3
Heat the oven to 200c/fan 180c/gas 6. Roll out a 500g block of puff pastry to the thickness of a pound coin.
Sprinkle 100g stilton over one half, fold the other half on top and roll again to the same thickness.
Cut out pastry to fit the tops of 4 pie dishes (or use one big one).
Divide the filling between the dishes, brush a little beaten egg around the rims and top with pastry.
Crimp the edges and brush with more egg.
Cook for 20-25 minutes until the pastry is golden.