Tasty pub recipes to recreate at home
Many of us have been avoiding going out to eat during the pandemic, staying safe at home while grabbing takeout or enjoying our own cooking. But if you’re getting bored of the same staples or craving your wintertime pub favourites, it’s time to experiment in the kitchen with DIY recipes.
Featuring wholesome ingredients like fresh mushrooms, this steak and ale pie recipe by Jenny from The Brunette Baker lets you easily recreate English-style comfort food in your very own home, at a fraction of the cost of takeout. Bold, hearty and delicious, it’s everything a savoury pie should be. (NC)
Steak and Ale Mushroom Pie Ingredients:
• 1.5 pounds bottom round beef, trimmed and cut into small chunks
• 4 tbsp all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 2 carrots, peeled and roughly cut
• 1 large onion, chopped coarsely
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 package button or cremini mushrooms
• 12 ounces brown or red ale beer
• 2 tsp liquid beef bouillon or 2 beef bouillon cubes
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 3-4 whole sprigs of fresh thyme
• Several pieces of whole fresh parsley, stems included
• 1 large bay leaf
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 box ready-made frozen puff pastry, thawed
Directions:
1. In a frying pan over medium-high heat, sweat onions and garlic until transparent. Add in mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Place a large stewing pot on the stove over medium-high heat. Toss the beef in 2 tablespoons flour and season with salt and pepper. Once the stew pot is hot, add oil to coat the bottom surface. Add in beef, but only enough so there is room for each piece to properly sear. Shake the pot occasionally and the cubes will come undone as they finish searing. Don’t force it as it will tear the meat. Continue to sear remaining pieces of beef. Once completed, remove meat from pot and reduce heat.
3. In a heat-safe container, pour in liquid bouillon and remaining 2 tablespoons flour. Stir. Mix in boiling water and stir until incorporated and dissolved.
4. In the same pot where you seared the beef, add liquid bouillon mixture and Worcestershire sauce. Skim the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze and get up all that goodness left over from searing the meat.
5. Toss meat back into stewing pot along with sweated vegetables. Pour in ale. Give a good stir and add in fresh herbs, submerging them. Remove from heat, cover pot with a lid and place in oven at 325°F (162°C) for 90 minutes.
6. Remove from oven, allow to rest and completely cool. Remove thyme sprigs, parsley and bay leaf and discard. Refrigerate overnight for best results.
7. Once ready to bake, transfer stew mixture into a casserole dish or individual ramekins for single serve. Carefully place thawed puff pastry over top, leaving an inch hanging over. Press and seal pastry to the side of the dish. Apply egg wash for shine if you desire.
8. Bake at 375° F (190°C) for 40 to 45 minutes or until puff pastry is golden brown and filling is warmed through.
9. Remove from oven and allow to rest before cutting.