SPICY BEEF & GUINESS PIE   back.jpg (2643 bytes)

For the flakey pastry 1 tablespoon oil
200g plain flour 1/2 whole grated nutmeg
good pinch of salt 2-3 cloves garlic - finely chopped
150g frozen butter 1kg lean stewing beef (chuck or blade),  cubed
6 tablespoons cold water 1/2 pint Guinness or similar stout
( egg yolk (for the glaze) 200g pitted prunes
For the pie filling 400g carrots, cleaned & sliced
1 teaspoon whole allspice berries salt, black pepper
6 cloves 2 teaspoons cornflour
1 teaspoon juniper berries

Crush the allspice & cloves together in a mortar & pestle, add the juniper berries and crush roughly. Heat the oil in a heavy iron pot. Put the crushed spices together with the grated nutmeg and chopped garlic into the hot oil and stir over the heat for 1/2 a minute.

 Add the beef and seal all over for 2-3 minutes over a high heat. Stir in the stout and 1/2 cup water. Add chopped pitted prunes, bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for 1 hour.

Now would be a good time to make the pastry: 

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Grate 3/4 of the frozen block of butter into the flour and mix it in with a palette knife until crumbly. Now add the cold water gradually, mixing with the knife. Gather the dough up with your hands into a ball, wrap in foil or polythene and refrigerate for at least one hour.

 When the beef has been simmering for 1 hour, add the carrots and continue cooking for 1 1/2 hours. Season with salt & pepper, blend the cornflour with a little cold water and stir in to thicken the stew, allowing it to bubble for a few minutes. Pour this mixture into a large pie dish and leave to cool.

Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to roughly the size and shape of the pie dish. Moisten the edge of the dish and lay the pastry on top of the beef stew. Cut round the edges and press down lightly. Roll out the trimmings and use to make patterns on the top of the pie. If possible, cover with plastic film or foil and leave overnight in the fridge.

 To bake, heat oven to 220 deg C. brush the pastry all over with egg yolk and cook for about 25 minutes until a rich golden brown.