Home Beef and Oyster pie
Recipe Tag
Ingredients
- Beef - 900g
- Olive Oil - 3 tbs
- Shallots - 3
- Garlic - 2 cloves minced
- Bacon - 125g
- Thyme - 1 tbs chopped
- Bay Leaf - 2
- Stout - 330ml
- Beef Stock - 400ml
- Corn Flour - 2 tbs
- Oysters - 8
- Plain Flour - 400g
- Salt - pinch
- Butter - 250g
- Eggs - To Glaze
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Instructions
- Season the beef cubes with salt and black pepper.
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in the frying pan and fry the meat over a high heat.
- Do this in three batches so that you don’t overcrowd the pan, transferring the meat to a large flameproof casserole dish once it is browned all over.
- Add extra oil if the pan seems dry.
- In the same pan, add another tablespoon of oil and cook the shallots for 4-5 minutes, then add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds.
- Add the bacon and fry until slightly browned.
- Transfer the onion and bacon mixture to the casserole dish and add the herbs.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
- Pour the stout into the frying pan and bring to the boil, stirring to lift any stuck-on browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Pour the stout over the beef in the casserole dish and add the stock.
- Cover the casserole and place it in the oven for 1½-2 hours, or until the beef is tender and the sauce is reduced.
- Skim off any surface fat, taste and add salt and pepper if necessary, then stir in the cornflour paste.
- Put the casserole dish on the hob – don’t forget that it will be hot – and simmer for 1-2 minutes, stirring, until thickened.
- Leave to cool.
- Increase the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
- To make the pastry, put the flour and salt in a very large bowl.
- Grate the butter and stir it into the flour in three batches.
- Gradually add 325ml/11fl oz cold water – you may not need it all – and stir with a round-bladed knife until the mixture just comes together.
- Knead the pastry lightly into a ball on a lightly floured surface and set aside 250g/9oz for the pie lid.
- Roll the rest of the pastry out until about 2cm/¾in larger than the dish you’re using.
- Line the dish with the pastry then pile in the filling, tucking the oysters in as well.
- Brush the edge of the pastry with beaten egg.
- Roll the remaining pastry until slightly larger than your dish and gently lift over the filling, pressing the edges firmly to seal, then trim with a sharp knife.
- Brush with beaten egg to glaze.
- Put the dish on a baking tray and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden-brown and the filling is bubbling.