Beef and Guinness Pie

Keeping it short and sweet... Happy St Patrick's Day to one and all.

Beef and Guinness Pie

There is a deep richness in flavour that comes from the Guinness and enriches everything else without overpowering it.

Serves 4

500g steak pieces

2 heaped tablespoons plain flour

Sea salt

Black pepper

1 large onion

2 carrots

2 parsnips

3 sticks celery

Rapeseed oil

1 500ml can of Guinness

1 pack of puff pastry

1 egg beaten

Method

Pat-dry the steak pieces with kitchen paper. On a side plate add the flour and season it with a generous pinch of sea salt and black pepper, roll the steak pieces in the seasoned flour until fully covered in a good coating, shake of any access flour.

Peel and chop the onion, carrots and parsnips and wash and chop the celery, set aside.

In a large saucepan heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over a high heat, add the steak pieces in small batches to brown them all over before removing with a slotted spoon onto kitchen paper. When all the neat is browned carefully give the saucepan a wipe down with kitchen paper and return to a medium heat, add a tablespoon of oil and add the onion. Fry the onion until softened but not coloured then add in the carrots, parsnips and celery. Fry these off for 8-10 mins then add the beef back in along with all the Guinness.

Bring the saucepan to the boil then reduce down to a steady simmer for 45 mins.

Preheat the oven to 180°c. Carefully pour the contents of the saucepan into an oven proof dish. Roll out the puff pastry and cover the dish with it, pressing around the edges and trimming off the access. Pierce a few times with a sharp knife and brush over the beaten egg to give it colour.

Place in the oven and bake for 35-40 mins until the pastry is golden and delicious.

Serve with some mashed potatoes of your choice for a warm hearty meal.