Beef and Guiness Pie for St Patrick's Day

Celebrity chef Antony Worrall Thompson will be cooking up this classic treat on St Patrick’s Day



Grass-fed Beef and Guinness Pie (awtrestaurants.com and awtonline.co.uk)

(Serves 4-6)



Ingredients:

1.5 kg chuck grass-fed steak, cut in 3-4cm pieces

40g/1 and half oz seasoned flour

55g /2oz dripping or lard

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

2 teaspoons sea salt

3 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon soft thyme leaves

7 cloves garlic, peeled

125/4 oz soft dark muscovado sugar

1 tablespoon good olive oil

25g/1oz unsalted butter

2 onions, peeled and roughly chopped

6 sage leaves, finely chopped

18 stoned prunes

1 x 440ml can Guinness

1 block shop bought puff pastry

2 egg yolks for glazing



Method:

· Brown the meat all over in hot dripping, remove and set aside to cool.

· In a food processor blend together the next six ingredients until you have a fine paste. If it appears too dry add a little water.

· Coat the beef all over with the paste, cover and refrigerate overnight, (ideally!) turning the meat from time to time.

· Preheat oven to 150C/Gas mark 2. In a heavy casserole dish heat the butter and oil until foaming, add the onions and fry them until they take on a little colour. Sprinkle with the flour and stir to combine.

· To the same casserole, add the beef and any marinade.

· Add the sage, prunes and Guinness, stir to combine bring to the boil, cover and place in the oven for 2 ½ -3 hours. Remove from the oven.

· Place the mixture in a pie dish then cover with puff pastry, egg glaze, decorate according to your liking, egg glaze again. Bake in a 180C/Gas mark 4 oven for 40-50 minutes until pastry is cooked and filling is hot.

· Serve with mash and your favourite green vegetable