Steak and Ale Pie

A great winter warmer, this pie takes a bit of time to make, but it is worth it. Make the pie filling the day before, and it will taste even better.

Ingredients

450g Stewing Steak
5-6 White Mushrooms - quartered
2 Medium Onions - finely sliced
1 Carrot - chopped into small cubes
1 bottle of Ale - I am using Black Sheep Ale
1 Beef Stock Cube
3 TBLSP of plain Flour
Salt and Pepper
8 TBLSP of Olive Oil
300g Plain Flour
150g of butter
Small cup of water
Milk for glazing the pie

Method

• Trim the meat of any excess fat and cut into cubes
• In a bowl, add the flour and salt and pepper - mix well. Add the meat and cover in the flour
• In a large pan, add 4 TBLSP of olive oil and heat gently, add the meat and cook until the outside is brown
• Once meat is brown remove from the pan and set aside
• Add the remaining oil to the pan, add the onions, carrots and mushrooms, cover with a lid and place on a low heat for 20 minutes - stirring occasionally
• After 20 minutes, return the meat to the pan, add the ale, beef stock cube and a little water if required to just cover the meat and vegetables
• Bring the pan to boil, then transfer onto a very low heat, and let simmer for 3 hours with the lid on, stirring occasionally 
• For the last half hour, transfer the pan to a higher heat and remove lid, reduce the liquid, stirring constantly to prevent the contents sticking, until you are left with a thick rich filling
• Taste and adjust seasoning if required with salt and pepper
• Set the pie filling aside and leave to cool
• Make the pastry - for method see Basic Shortcrust Pastry
• Roll 3/4 of the pastry out and line your chosen pie dish, and trim any excess from the sides
• Fill the lined pie dish with the filling
• Brush the pastry edge with a small amount of milk
• Roll out the remaining pastry and place over the pie, trim excess and crimp the edges
• Make a couple of small holes in the pie lid with a sharp knife and glaze with milk
• Heat oven to 220 Degree's C and bake for 40-45 minutes

Chicken Mushroom and Leek Pie

Whilst it is supposed to be summer in Britain, the weather is not very summery, and today it is like winter. Thinking about what to do for tea tonight on this very wet and wintry day, what nicer than a chicken mushroom and leek pie.

Cost - approx £1.60 per person
Serves 2

Ingredients for the pie filling:

2 Chicken breasts
200g Leeks - washed and finely sliced
160g of Mushrooms - cleaned and quartered
1 TBLSP of butter
1TBSPS of plain flour
1 Pint of chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for the shortcrust pastry :

200g plain flour
Pinch of salt
100g butter - diced
Cold water
3 TBLSP of milk to glaze

Method for the pie filling:

• Trim the chicken breasts and cut into bite size chunks
• Take the leeks, cut them down the middle and wash, then slice
• In a large pan, add the the butter and melt on a low heat, add the leeks and mushrooms stir well and cover and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes to sweat down the leeks and mushrooms, stirring once in a while to stop the from burning.
• Add the flour to the pan and stir in well
• In a frying pan, add a little oil and add the chicken, and on a low to medium heat cook for 5 minutes, you are not looking to brown the meat
• Add the chicken to the pan and mix well
• Add the chicken stock to the pan and bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer on a low heat with the lid on for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally
• Taste the gravy in the pan, and add salt and pepper if required
• Get a bowl and a strainer and put the contents of the pan in the strainer and let the gravy strain into the bowl
• Place the chicken, leek and mushroom mix into a pie dish
• Take some of the gravy and add to the pie dish, until it comes about 3 quarters up the mix and set aside
• Put the rest of the gravy in a pan and set aside

The cubed chicken breast

The washed and sliced leeks

The sweated leeks and mushrooms

The cooked chicken - note you are not looking to brown the meat

The filled pie dishes ready for the shortcrust pastry

Method for the shortcrust pastry:

• Place flour and salt in a bowl
• add the butter
• Rub the butter into the flour until it looks like fine breadcrumbs

The flour and butter rubbed in

• Take a tablespoon and start adding the water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing the water into the flour and butter. Repeat adding the water until the dough comes together

The resulting dough after adding the water

• Put the dough in a plastic food bag/cling film and put it in the fridge for at least half an hour

Method of assembling the pie:

• Take the dough out of the fridge and roll out
• Cut a thin strip and brush milk round the edge of the pie dish
• Put the all-round the edge of the pie dish and then brush with the milk
• Place the rolled out lid onto the pie
• Then with a tines of a fork, press gently down to seal
• with the remaining milk brush the top of the pie to glaze
• With a knife, make a few holes in the top of the pie
• Cook for 50 minutes at 220 degrees C and serve

The pie dish prepared ready for sealing with the lid

The pies ready for glazing and baking

The cooked pie

Serve with mashed potato and vegetables, using the reserved gravy.