Friday 9 December 2011

Friday Feast - Steak and Mushroom Pie

This recipe is really a steak and kidney pie one, Len doesn't like kidney so I use mushrooms instead. If you do prefer kidney instead of mushrooms, then use four lambs kidneys, quartered and add them at the point in the recipe where it says to add the mushrooms. It also uses mince instead of cubed steak - it's always a winner here.

Steak and Mushroom Pie

The pastry leaves are just something I automatically do - for some reason my Mum always put pastry leaves on savoury pies and I picked up the habit from her!

Ready for some mashed potato, green vegetables and a touch of extra gravy

Serves 4 - but see my note below

300g (10oz) plain flour
1 tsp salt
75g (2½oz) chilled butter, cut into cubes
75g (2½oz) chilled lard, cut into cubes
2 tsp sunflower oil or your preference
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
500g (1lb) lean minced steak
150 g (6 oz) or so of button mushrooms, halved or quartered depending on size
250g (8oz) potato, peeled and cubed
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp gravy granules
1 egg, beaten, for glaze
20cm (8in) pie plate, greased

Put the flour into a food processor with the salt. Add the butter and lard. Pulse the processor until the mixture forms crumbs. Measure out 5-6 tbsp ice-cold water. Pour in most of the water, pulse until the mixture just combines; add the rest of the water if needed. Lightly knead dough on a floured surface, wrap and chill.
 
Heat the oil in large frying pan, add the onion and cook for a few mins until softened and lightly browned. Add the carrot and fry for a couple of mins, then add the mince to the pan. Breaking it up and continuing to cook for about 10 mins, until it’s browned all over.

Set the oven to Gas Mark 6 or 200°C. Add the kidneys (or mushrooms) and potato to the mince, then add the Worcestershire sauce, followed by the gravy granules. Stir well. Simmer gently for 15 mins until meat is tender. Tip into a bowl to cool.

Roll out half the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line the pie plate. Spoon in the cooled meat filling. Brush the pastry rim with water. Roll out the remaining pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to cover the filling. Pierce twice with a knife. Seal edges, cut off trimmings and crimp rim.

Brush the pie all over with the egg glaze and bake for 35 mins, until the pastry is golden.
 
Things I do: First of all, I do sometimes cheat and use  pre-made pastry sheets from the supermarket - although the pastry recipe above is very easy to make it just saves on a bit of messing around and also on some washing up.
 
I've already said that I substitute mushrooms for kidney. But the main thing is that this recipe makes a lot of pie filling - so much so that I always only use half for the pie itself once I've cooked it to the point of tipping into a bowl to cool. If you try the recipe I'm sure you'll see just what I mean - the rest of the filling gets frozen, then fully defrosted and used another time which is a great time saver. That's got to be a plus :) 
 
Enjoy!

I'm off out to a meeting for most of today to discuss where to land on go for our 2013 long-weekend school reunion. So far, in almost 20 years of these reunions, we've never gone to the same place twice - I wonder why?! It reminds me of the saying about only going somewhere twice when the second time is to apologise!

Di
x

7 comments:

  1. Morning Di

    The pie looks DE-LISH-OUS! (I KNOW that's not the correct spelling).

    Enjoy your day out. Hope you manage to decide the whereabouts.

    xxx

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  2. I think you need to SERIOUSLY consider moving to Buxton....I really really need a personal chef!!! Your meals all look so scrummy...xxx

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  3. Are you sure you didn't work with Julia Childs? You're just not another crafty, flower in the hair from a cocktail, hedgehog lovin kinda of gal are you? You might just be makin some of us look bad with all your talent! :O Gotta run, have a post to do and you're a tough act to follow...LOL Blow some of your Pixie dust this way my friend.

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  4. Hi Di, Another winning dish it looks gorgeous l'm like your len though not into Kidneys either! the mushrooms do the job just as good, got my tea sorted tonight but will copy the recipe for this one,:) Sandra H

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  5. Hi Di

    You post some magic recipies .. .. I am getting a long list of them now. Thanks for that. When do you bring your first book out?

    We would want mushrooms and kidneys in ours!! LOL!!

    Hope you managed to sort out your reunion. Nothing like forward planning .. .. I am impressed if you are already working on 2013!!!

    My stamp yesterday was definitely not Elzybells .. .. but I do agree with you. Elizabeth did some amaqzing stamps. Just wish I had bought even more of them now!!

    Have a great weekend.

    Love Jules xx

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  6. Well guess what??????
    I don't like mushrooms or kidney!
    Bet you have given up on me now and wonder what on earth we do eat.
    I do make a meat and potato pie in a deep dish and a plate steak pie so I suppose I am half way there?

    Kath x

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  7. I'm playing catch up yet again and this pie looks absolutely moreish(?). I think it will suit the EM, it's got potato in it and he likes meat and potato pie. Wonder of wonders, I have even won him over to macaroni cheese, not any old macaroni cheese of course but a special recipe my chef grandson passed on to me. I'm hoping to get it posted tomorrow - I wonder if you'll like it too. Elizabeth x

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