JAMIE OLIVER’S STEAK AND GUINNESS PIE

Directions

• Step 1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Step 2 In a large, ovenproof casserole, heat a glug of olive oil on low heat.
• Step 3 Add the red onions and sauté them very slowly for about 10 minutes.
• Step 4 Turn the heat up and add the garlic, butter, carrots, celery, half the cheese and then scatter in the mushrooms. Mix all the vegetables and then add the beef, the rosemary a pinch of salt, and a level teaspoon of black pepper.
• Step 5 Sauté the beef and vegetables for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Step 6 Pour in the Guinness, stir in the flour and if necessary, add enough water to cover.
• Step 7 Bring the dish to a simmer
• Step 8 then cover the casserole with its lid and put it into the oven.
• Step 9 Bake for an hour and a half, then take the casserole out of the oven, check to see that there’s enough liquid, stir, and put it back in the oven for another hour or until the meat is very tender. The pie filling should be rich, dark, and thick. If necessary, reduce the liquid on the top of the stove. Be careful not to burn it. Remove from heat and then add the second half of the cheese and stir. At this point, you can put the pie filling aside or proceed. (I made the filling then chilled it, and made the pie another day.)
• Step 10 To assemble the pie, take two 9 X 9 sheets of puff pastry out of the freezer and thaw for 40 minutes.
• Step 11 Prepare a pie dish by greasing it with butter or a non-stick spray like Pam.
• Step 12 Dust a clean work surface with flour, and then roll one sheet of puff pastry out till it is about 1/8 inch thick. Put that sheet on the bottom of the pie plate and let the pastry droop over the sides.
• Step 13 Gently fill the pie with the beef and vegetable filling.
• Step 14 Take the second sheet of puff pastry. Roll it out and then take a sharp knife and carefully score the crust in a cross-hatch pattern.
• Step 15 Make an egg wash and brush it over the edge of the bottom pastry.
• Step 16 Gently place the cross-hatched crust on top of the pie. Put the pie on a sheet pan placed on the bottom of your oven. Bake for an additional 45 minutes. This gave me a beautifully cooked crust–better than any puff pastry I’d ever cooked before.
• Step 17 *Baby Bella mushrooms have more flavor than plain white mushrooms but you can certainly use them if no Baby Bellas are available. This was very well received. I did follow Jamie’s advice and served it with some frozen peas, one of my favorite vegetables.