Beef & ale pie

The wonderful cheesy pastry is incredibly moreish.

SERVES 6 PREP 45min, plus chilling COOK about 2hr 20min

• 900g stewing steak, such as chuck, cut into 2.5cm pieces

• 4tbsp plain flour

• 2tbsp vegetable oil

• 450ml hot beef stock

• 200g smoked lardons

• 5 shallots, each quartered into wedges

• 200g button mushrooms, halved

• Few fresh thyme sprigs

• 400ml ale

FOR THE PASTRY

• 250g plain flour, plus extra to dust

• 125g chilled butter, chopped

• 1½tsp English mustard powder

• 100g Lancashire cheese, finely chopped

• 1½tbsp chilled water

• 1 medium egg, lightly beaten

1 Pat the beef dry with kitchen paper, then put it into a bowl and toss in the flour. Heat some of the oil in a large, lidded pan over medium-high heat and brown the beef well (uncovered) in batches, using the remaining oil. Set the beef aside in a bowl. Add some stock to the pan, then scrape the base with a wooden spoon to pick up sticky bits. Add the mixture to the browned beef.

2 Return the pan to low-medium heat and add the lardons, shallots and mushrooms. Fry for 10min, until the veg are beginning to soften. Return the beef to the pan (plus any liquid). Add the thyme, ale and remaining stock. Bring to the boil, then lower heat, cover and simmer gently for 1½hr, or until the beef is tender.

3 For the pastry, pulse the flour, butter and mustard powder in a food processor until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the cheese and pulse again until it’s as fine as before. Add the chilled water and pulse until the pastry starts to clump, then tip it on to a work surface, bring it together into a disc, wrap it in baking parchment and chill. Alternatively, rub butter into the flour and mustard powder with your fingers, then stir in finely grated cheese. Mix in water with a cutlery knife, then bring the pastry together.

4 When the beef filling is ready, season it and remove the thyme stalks. Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Tip the beef into a 2-litre ovenproof serving dish. Dust a work surface with flour and roll out pastry until it’s large enough to cover the dish. Brush the rim of the dish with egg, then cover the filling with pastry. Cut a small hole in the pastry to let out steam, trim the edges, crimp and brush with egg. Cut out shapes out from the trimmings to decorate; glaze with beaten egg again.

5 Bake for 25-30min, until the pastry is golden. Serve with seasonal vegetables. PER SERVING: CALS 656; FAT 33G; SAT FAT 14G; CARBS 32G