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My Mother's Recipes (Pt. 2)

Steak and Mushroom Pie

By J M HunterPublished 5 years ago 4 min read
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This recipe is part of a series of my late mother's amazing collection.

These recipes were never written down—rather, passed down from my nanna to my mother, then consequently to my older sisters, and eventually to me. I learned by standing in the kitchen and watching her work. When I was really little, I would be hoisted up onto the countertop by one of my big brothers and I would wait patiently for the bowls to lick. When I grew a bit, I'd stand on tiptoes and watch, wide-eyed, as my mother turned out cakes and pies and other culinary wonders. Sometimes she even let me "varnish" the pies.

My mother would make this as part of our tea on Sunday. She'd also make a minced beef and gravy pie, a corned beef and potato pie, a quiche, sausage rolls, homemade bread and jam, fruit pie—either apple or apple and blackberry (if we'd been foraging for blackberries)—several cakes—chocolate, Victoria sponge and fresh cream eclairs. If we were really lucky, we would also be treated to her delicious melt-in-the-mouth Viennese tartlets—dotted with fresh raspberry jam and dusted in icing "snow."

Other favourites of my family included crisp, flaky, lightly spiced Eccles cakes—not a cake as such—but buttery puff pastry rounds, stuffed with spiced fruits and sprinkled with caramelised brown sugar. My brother's favourite was her squidgy custard tart—crisp, shortcrust pastry baked with a rich egg custard and dusted with fragrant nutmeg.

We'd also have sandwiches—usually egg and tomato (or mayonnaise), canned red salmon with a little bit of vinegar and white pepper, boiled ham or cold cuts left over from the Sunday lunch. Oh yes! This was all served following a full Sunday roast at lunchtime!

And everything would be served in the formal dining room, with the table laid with the best linen, and nanna's best crockery taken down from the cabinet. The kettle would be ceremoniously boiled, and several cups of tea would accompany the feast.

Afterwards, everyone got a doggy bag of cakes and pies—to serve as suppers and afternoon tea throughout the week.

It's very important to use the right cut of beef when making this pie. Anything labelled as "stewing beef," beef shin, and brisket are all perfect. The beef is cooked low and slow (overnight if you wish), and any cheap cuts will be rendered into tender, melting, savoury unctiousness!

Ingredients

  • Two lbs stewing beef, (sinew removed) and diced
  • One medium onion, diced small
  • 10 ounces button mushrooms, wiped and sliced
  • Two tbsp oil for frying
  • Two ounces butter
  • Two to three tbsp plain flour
  • One pint of beef stock, (made with a stock cube is fine—my mother used Oxo, but I prefer Knorr).
  • Dash of Worcestershire Sauce (optional)
  • Few drops of gravy browning (optional)
  • Tbsp cornflour or arrowroot
  • Salt and pepper
  • Two sheets ready-rolled puff pastry
  • Beaten egg, to glaze

Method

  • Begin this recipe the night before. Melt the butter in a large, heavy frying pan, add the oil, and fry the beef pieces in batches till nicely browned. The more colour, the better. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
  • Add the onion to the pan and cook for about five minutes on a medium heat till cooked and slightly browned. Add the mushrooms and cook for a further two to three mins.
  • Add the beef back to the pan. Season well with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the flour and stir fry for around one to two minutes.
  • Pour the stock into the pan and stir briskly. You can add gravy browning here if you like. Allow to come up to the boil, then transfer to your slow cooker or a large lidded casserole.
  • Cook on low for five to six hours (or overnight) in the slow cooker.
  • If cooking in the oven, cook at 140 degrees Celsius (fan oven) or 150 degrees Celsius (or equivalent) for three to four hours. Check the liquid levels regularly and add more stock if it looks like it's drying up.
  • When cooked, remove the meat and vegetables from the liquid, reserving around a cup full.
  • Bring this liquid to the boil and thicken with a tbsp cornflour slaked with a tbsp water. Add the Worcestershire sauce. Pour this gravy over the meat and veg and stir well to combine. Allow to cool.
  • Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (160 degrees Celsius fan) or equivalent. Grease a large dinner or pie plate. My mother used the lid of a round glass casserole dish as it made a good size, "deep dish" pie.
  • Roll one sheet of pastry to line the plate and trim flush with the plate sides. Pile the meat and vegetables on, moisten the edges with water and top with the other sheet of pastry.
  • Crimp the edges, poke a steam hole in the centre.
  • Re-roll the trimmings and make either leaves or the word "Pie" (or whatever else you fancy!) and attach to the lid with water.
  • Glaze the top with beaten egg and bake on a lower shelf for an hour, or until golden brown and well-risen.
  • Lovely with mashed potatoes, peas and gravy!
  • Freezes well.

recipe
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About the Creator

J M Hunter

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B07QNBJZVZ

Twitter - https://twitter.com/JulieHunter15?lang=en-gb

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lipstickandquills/

'The Adventures of Swampy the Slime Man' available to buy from Amazon now!

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