My wonderful brother Jasper suggested adding horseradish to this pie and indeed it is excellent. It is named in his honour.
SERVES 4
1 tbsp olive oil
a knob of butter
250g (9oz) chestnut mushrooms, sliced
500g (1lb) chuck stewing or braising steak, cut into 4cm (1½in) cubes
300g (10oz) pork kidney, trimmed and cut into 4cm (1½in) cubes
1 tbsp plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
300ml (10fl oz) beef stock
18 pearl (or ‘button’) onions, peeled and trimmed
1 small glass red wine (about 150ml / 5fl oz)
1 tbsp horseradish, either sauce or freshly grated
3 splashes Worcestershire sauce
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten
300g (10oz) good-quality butter puff pastry
Heat half the oil and the butter in a large pan over a medium heat. Drop in the mushrooms and sauté for 10 minutes or until cooked through. Remove them from the pot and set them aside.
Add the rest of the oil to the casserole and increase the heat to high. Coat the steak and kidneys with the seasoned flour. Fry the steak and kidneys in batches until they have all browned slightly, then remove from the pan and set aside with the mushrooms.
Turn the heat back down to medium, pour the beef stock into a small pan, plop in the onions and boil for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, add the wine, horseradish and Worcestershire sauce to the pan, scraping up any flour that has stuck to the bottom. Let it bubble until you have a thickish sauce.
Add the browned meat, mushrooms, onions and beef stock to the sauce and simmer gently for 1½ hours. Keep an eye on it and stir occasionally, adding some water if it looks like it is drying out. Taste and season with salt and pepper accordingly. The mixture should be quite sloppy, so add more water if necessary.
Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F/Gas 7). Pour the steak and kidney mixture into a pie dish, making sure that it is pretty full: you don’t want the pastry to sink into the pie, otherwise it will boil and fail to turn crisp. Brush some of the beaten egg around the rim of the pie dish.
Roll out the pastry, cover the pie, trim around the edge and press it down around the rim with your thumb to seal. Decorate the top with shapes cut from the pastry trimmings. Cut a small hole in the top to let the steam escape and brush the top with the beaten egg.
Cover with foil and place in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for a further 15 minutes. Serve with roasted vegetables (such as carrots, parsnips and potatoes) and mustard.
This is a traditional British dish. My parents used to serve it at dinner parties and I thought it was very chic. It was one of the first things I cooked when I left home at 17 feeling very grown up.
SERVES 6
1kg (2lb 4oz) beef fillet in one piece
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
100g (4oz) butter
1 onion, finely chopped
250g (9oz) field mushrooms, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 handful chopped parsley, stalks removed
2 tbsp brandy
2 tbsp double cream
375g (13oz) good-quality butter puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F/Gas 7).
Season the beef with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large pan over a high heat. As soon as it is hot, quickly fry the meat until browned all over. Remove the meat from the pan and set it aside on a plate. If you like rare meat this is perfect, if you prefer it more cooked or it is a thick piece, then brown for longer.
Reduce the heat, add the butter to the pan and gently fry the onions for about 15 minutes or until soft. Add the mushrooms and garlic, and cook for a further 15 minutes, stirring from time to time. Stir through the parsley, and then pour in the brandy. Simmer for 5 minutes, then add the cream and stir it through. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the contents to cool.
Roll out the pastry into a large sheet that is large enough to wrap the meat in. Spread the cooled mushroom mixture in a layer over the pastry, leaving about 3cm (1in) around the edge. Brush the edge with a little of the beaten egg. Place the meat in the middle and carefully bring together the two long sides of pastry, up and over the fillet. Gently pinch the sides together and then roll to make a neat seam at the top. Tuck the pastry flaps under at each end and gently set it on a roasting tin.
Brush all over the top of the pastry with a little more of the beaten egg and allow to dry for 10 minutes. Then brush over with egg once more. This gives the pastry shell a bit more strength and will help to stop it falling apart when sliced. Place it in the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Once cooked, remove from the oven and allow to stand for 10 minutes before carving.
I like to serve with pommes dauphinoises (my all-time favourite potato dish), buttered spinach and horseradish sauce. It is also excellent served cold with grain mustard and a green salad.
Beef, Ale and Mushroom with Yorkshire Pudding Lid
Robert Barker
Robert is the brilliant development chef I work with on my pie range. This is his fabulous rework of the Great British Sunday lunch.
SERVES 4
FOR THE FILLING:
600g (1lb 5oz) chuck stewing or braising steak, cut into 3cm (1in) cubes
1 bouquet garni
1 small bottle ‘real’ ale (about 300ml / 10fl oz)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 stick celery, diced
1 tbsp plain flour
150ml (5fl oz) beef stock or just enough to cover the meat
150g (5oz) field