Here is another recipe from Claire at A Cheesemonger’s Daughter for Steak + Mushroom pie, perfect for rustling up at home in the lead up to Christmas. A winner for the entire family and the perfect dish for using our pie set and serving in our deep plates. 

For the stew:

1 ¼ pounds/550g stewing beef (chuck)

175g button mushrooms (roughly 10-12), quartered

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 large carrot, diced into 1/2in/1cm pieces

¼ cup + 3 teaspoons/roughly 50g plain flour

1 2/3 cup/400ml beef stock

½ cup/120ml dark beer or ale

2 tablespoons butter

1 sprig fresh rosemary

1 bay leaf

vegetable oil

olive oil

For the topping:

4-5 large potatoes

2 small turnips, optional

1 clove garlic, sliced

2 slices of crusty bread pulsed into crumbs or ¼ cup bread crumbs

2/3 cup/175ml milk

2 tablespoons butter

The How-Tos:

Cut the beef into bite-sized pieces, season generously with salt and pepper, and cover each piece with flour (tapping off any excess.)

In a Dutch oven or casserole, heat a splash of olive oil and add the onion, garlic and carrot. Season with salt and pepper. While they are sweating (be careful not to brown,) heat a large skillet with a splash of vegetable oil over a moderate heat and brown the meat. Add the beef to the casserole and turn it to a low heat.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the skillet and add the 3 teaspoons of flour, stir, and cook for 2-3 to cook the flour before adding the beer. Stir well and scrap off the cooked on bits from the bottom of the skillet. Let cook for 2 minutes before adding the stock. Allow this to cook down and thicken (about 5 minutes) check seasoning and stir occasionally. Preheat the oven to 325F/160C

Add the gravy to the casserole and stir well. Melt the other tablespoon in the skillet and sauté the mushrooms. Scrap the pan and add the mushrooms to the stew. Stir well to combine, place the lid on the pot and put in the oven for 1 hour.

As the stew cooks, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Slice the garlic, cube the potatoes and turnip (if using) and cook until fork tender. Drain, return to the pot, add the milk butter and salt and pepper to taste and mash until creamy.

Add the stew into a deep pie dish and top with the mash. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs and pop into the oven. After 20 minutes, turn on the broiler and brown the bread crumbs (which should only take a minute or 2.) Remove from the oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Turn the oven off and put plates in to warms as the pie rests.