British Expatriate Network

Any recipes??? I had a great one, and I threw out the paper and didn't save the email that it came to me in. I'd like to make one for my husband.

Er... make a basic pie crust, throw some cheap sliced up steak in a pan and cook it, throw some mushrooms onions and garlic in, when that looks done, throw it in the pastry, pour a mixture of guinness and brown gravy over it, stick a top on the pie and throw in an oven until it goes brown on top. Savoury pies are usually a variation on this theme.

/never bothers actually writing recipes down
//pies are dead easy

thanks! sounds like how I make my pasta sauce (gravy to my Italian half of the family)

Let me know it turns out.

/Kerry Simon esta el hombre

Sounds like a lot of my recipes too ;o)

Made a killer Alfredo today for the MIL, who had a dinner guest but didn't get home until after 6. The recipe would include a lot of the verbs and amounts VRB used...

This is the best beef and ale pie I have ever made! I use Guinness for the ale, button mushrooms instead of chestnut mushrooms, and Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry for the top. Well recommended!

500g Lean Diced Beef,
Plain Flour, Olive Oil
1 large onion
1 carrot
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp tomato purée
250ml Strong ale
few sprigs fresh Thyme
2 bay leaves
100g Chestnut Mushrooms
300g Plain Flour
75g Lard
75g butter
Milk to glaze

Serves 4

Peel and slice the onion, garlic and carrots. Trim the fat off the beef and cut into chunks the coat in plain flour and season. Brown the meat in a little oil then add the onion, carrot, garlic and purée. Cook for 5 minutes then add the ale and 150ml hot water. Bring the mixture to the boil, add herbs, cover and simmer for 1½ - 2 hours. Leave to cool then strain the liquid into a jug for gravy.

To make the pastry, sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Cube the butter and the lard and the rub in to the flout until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add 4 tbsp cold water to make a dough and wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 mins. Remove from the fridge and roll out two-thirds of the dough on a floured surface. Preheat the oven gas mark 6. Use the rolled-out pastry to line a lightly buttered 1.2 litre pie dish. Fill with the cooled meat mixture and the mushrooms which should be roughly chopped. Spoon over 4 tbsp of the gravy. Roll out the rest of the pastry to top the pie then seal and trim the edges.

Make a slit in the middle of the pie and decorate with leaves made from pastry trimmings. Glaze with milk then bake in lower part of oven for 50-60 mins, until the pastry browns. Heat the gravy and serve with the pie, along with mash and green vegetables.


Recipe courtesy of my cookbook


Debs x :smile:

Looks good Deb, but where do you buy "500g Lean Diced Beef", in Connecticut? Same with the other items ?

From the supermarket...that's where I usually get my shopping!


Debs x 8)

500g = just over 1lb

Thanks Deb! i printed it and saved it. I'll make it soon and let you know how it went! )

There is only one ale you can use for the ale in a steak & ale pie......

Newcastle Brown!

KR

Or Bateman's Victory ...if you can get it on this side of the pond... twisted

Do you put the puff pastry on the bottom layer of the pie, or just the top?


What temp - (US) would "gas mark 6" be?

Just on top... gas mark six? Er... I tend to preheat the oven to 325... since most of the things inside the pie are already cooked, you're just doing the pastry and warming the contents of said pie.

Yes indeedy, just the top is used, however you need the oven to be on 400f for puff pastry so it will rise in lots of little layers. You may need to put the pie dish on a baking sheet to catch the overspill and place tin foil on top of the pie half way through cooking to prevent browning.

Good Eats regards.....

Debs x smile

Incidentally, I made a very good chicken pot pie today AND made my own rough puff pastry which was well easy and tasted great!

Puff pastry recipe please debs!

Remember I was asking a while back.