• 1 lb 9 oz stewing beef (cut into bite-sized pieces)
• 2 leeks (trimmed and sliced)
• 1 onion (coarsely chopped)
• 2 large carrots (peeled and diced)
• 2.5 cups mushrooms (coarsely chopped)
• 2.5 oz bacon (about 3 slices, coarsely chopped)
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 garlic cloves (crushed )
• all-purpose flour
• 11 oz can Guinness
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 bay leaf
• a large handful of fresh parsley leaves (chopped)
• 13 oz ready-rolled puff pastry (defrosted if frozen)
• 1 tbsp melted butter or milk (to brush on pastry)
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Steps
Step 1Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Step 2Heat the oil in a heatproof casserole dish. Add the beef and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes, until browned. Remove the meat from the casserole dish, season and set aside.
Step 3Add the leeks, onion and carrots to the pan, adding a little more oil if necessary. Cook over low heat for about 3 minutes, until softened.
Step 4Add the mushrooms, bacon and thyme and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes. Season well.
Step 5Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Step 6Return the beef to the casserole dish, add the flour, stir to coat the meat in the flour and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the Guinness and Worcestershire sauce. Add the bay leaf and parsley and pour in sufficient cold water to just cover. Stir to mix, cover with a lid and bake in the preheated oven for about 1½ hours.
Step 7Remove the casserole dish from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 400°F.
Step 8Transfer the beef mixture to the baking dish. Unroll the pastry and use to cover the pie filling. It should look rustic, so fold over the edges and crimp roughly with your fingers. Using a sharp knife, and starting at the top edge, make lengthwise slits on the diagonal, in stripes about ½ cm apart, all the way across. Brush with melted butter or milk and bake in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes, until golden. Serve immediately with mashed potatoes and peas on the side.
