Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons of oil
- 6 shallots (or 2 brown onions), peeled and cut into wedges
- 2 leeks, thinly sliced
- 200g brown mushrooms
- 2 tbsp of butter
- 2 tbsp of plain flour
- 600g shin of British beef – cut into chunks
- 250ml beer
- 400ml water with two stock cubes
- 500g potatoes, washed but not peeled and finely sliced
- Salt and pepper
For the pastry:
- 340g plain flour
- A pinch of salt
- 165g butter (cold or frozen and grated)
- 75g mature cheddar cheese (grated)
- 8-10 tablespoons of cold water
Method
To make the filling:
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan or cast-iron casserole dish.
- Add the shallots and fry until starting to soften. Add the leeks and 1 tablespoon of butter and cook until soft.
- Take the leeks and shallots out of the pan and put them in a bowl.
- Brown the mushrooms in the remaining butter and then remove as well.
- Toss the beef in the flour, salt and pepper and brown in a little oil.
- Once it has browned, put all the vegetables back in, pour over the stock and the beer, and then put it into the oven to cook for 3-4 hours.
To construct the pie:
- Finely slice the potatoes and par boil until they start to soften.
- Spoon the casseroled meat into a pie dish and layer the sliced potatoes on top.
- Roll out the pastry. Dip your finger in cold water and run it around the rim of the pie dish.
- Lift the pastry carefully on top.
- Use the tines of a fork to press down the edges. Cut around the edge of the pastry leaving a little overhang.
- Use cutters to cut out pastry shapes and stick these onto the top of the pie with a little water. Brush with a beaten egg and make a couple of holes or slits in the top of the pie.
- Lift onto a baking tray and pop into the preheated oven to bake for about 35 minutes.