PIE HIGH

Beef and vegetable pot pie

SERVES 6

Pie means comfort, but it needn’t take all day. This version does it all in one pot, skips the pastry base and works if you make the braise ahead, too.

INGREDIENTS

50ml vegetable oil 1.1kg beef blade steak, cut into 8cm pieces Plain flour, for dusting 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 8 shallots 450ml red wine 500ml (2 cups) veal or beef stock 3 thyme sprigs Two carrots, scrubbed and diced ½ cup (firmly packed) flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped 1 egg yolk, whisked with 1 tsp water

SHORTCRUST PASTRY

185g unsalted butter, coarsely chopped 300g (2¾ cups) plain flour 1 egg yolk

1 Preheat oven to 160°C. Heat oil in a deep ovenproof frying pan or shallow casserole over mediumhigh heat. Season beef with salt, dust lightly with flour and fry, turning occasionally, until browned (7-8 minutes). Add garlic and shallots, then sauté until shallots just start to colour (3-4 minutes). Transfer shallots to a plate. Deglaze pan with wine, scraping base of pan, then add stock and thyme. 2 Cover and braise in oven until beef is very tender, adding shallots for the last 30 minutes of cooking (3-3½ hours). Transfer beef and shallots to a plate to cool, then tear beef into bite-sized pieces. Simmer braising liquid over high heat until reduced to 200ml (25-35 minutes), season to taste, then stir in beef, shallots, carrots and parsley. Cool. 3 Meanwhile, for pastry, process butter and flour in a food processor to fine crumbs. Add egg yolk, 2 Tbsp cold water and ½ tsp salt and pulse until a dough forms. Turn out onto a work surface, bring together with the heel of your hand, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour to rest. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to 6mm thick and chill until firm (1 hour). 4 Place pastry over casserole pan, trim, leaving a little overhanging, then fold and twist edges back on themselves to fit neatly in pan and create an edge. Cut a small hole in centre to allow steam to escape, then brush with egg wash and bake until golden (30 minutes).

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