Our third and final recipe in the "ode to the pub" series is a classic beef, stout and cheddar pie. Make as a family pie or up your pub game by making individual pot pies, the choice is yours. Serve with mushy peas, creamy mash and a frosty stout to say goodbye to winter and hello to spring.
1. Preheat oven to 190C. In a large ovenproof pan heat a glug of oil on a low heat. Add the onions and fry gently for about 10 mins, try not to colour them too much. Turn the heat up, add the garlic, butter, carrots, celery and mushrooms and cook for 3-5 minutes. In a bowl, mix the beef, flour and salt and pepper and toss until the meat is coated. Now add the beef and rosemary to the pan and cook until brown (3-4 minutes), then pour in the stout and enough beef stock to just cover the filling. Bring to a simmer, cover the pan with a lid and place in the oven for about 1 1/2 hours. Remove the pan from the oven and give the stew a stir before returning to the oven to continue cooking for another hour, or until the meat is tender and the stew is rich and thick.
2. If after 2.5 hours, the stew is still a little runny, you can reduce it on the stove to your desired thickness. When done, remove from the heat and add half of the grated cheese and stir to combine and set aside to cool.
3. For the mushy peas: heat 30g butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add shallot and garlic, stir occasionally until tender (4-5 minutes). Add stock and dried split peas, bring to the boil, reduce heat to medium, simmer until tender (40-45 minutes). Add peas, simmer until tender (1-2 minutes), add vinegar, season to taste. Transfer solids to a food processor (reserve liquid), add remaining butter, pulse, adding a little reserved liquid, until coarsely puréed.
4. Defrost your pastry. Grease your pastry dish with some butter and line the dish with a sheet of pastry. Trim off the excess and use this to make sure there are no gaps. Fill the pastry dish with the pie filling and top with remaining grated cheese. Whisk your egg and brush the exposed sides of your pastry base with egg. Cover your pie with another sheet of pastry, pressing lightly in to the pastry base. Trim any excess pastry so you have a neat, round pie. You can use this excess to decorate your pie. Brush the top of the pie with egg and puncture a couple of slits in to the top of the pie to allow steam to escape. Pop in the oven for 45 minutes or until the pastry is golden and flaky.
5. Serve with the mushy peas, some crazy mash and beautiful local stout, such as the Karma Oatmeal Stout from Hop Nation.
There's something particularly meditative about sitting down and folding dumplings, which is exactly the type of past time that we're all currently looking for. The filling for these potstickers is very simple, including pork, cabbage and garlic chives. Getting the folding right can take some practise, but if you're struggling, just folding them into half moons will work well too!
Meals that you can rely on when you're short on time. Just because we have more time at home right now, doesn't mean we have the motivation for luxurious, slow-cooked meals every night and that's where these recipes come in handy. There's something for everyone in this series, with perfectly cooked steak, honey and soy chicken and comforting pasta dishes that we crave over winter.
With travel to the US feeling like a far-off fantasy, here's one way to bring some 'I NY' vibes into your life: with a homemade Reuben. This New York deli classic is a simple grilled sandwich with corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Russian dressing tucked between slices of rye. Serve with a handful of potato chips, a pickle and a strong black coffee.
