recipe-book

Steak and Ale Stew
This beautiful stew is perfect for a hearty dinner: a dark beer like Poacher’s Choice will give you
a lovely warming wintery gravy, but you could try it with something lighter, like Golden Champion.
Serves 6
Ingredients
For the Stew
1kg stewing or braising beef, or brisket
500ml bottle of Poacher’s Choice
3 red onions
3 garlic cloves
2 celery sticks
2 carrots
250g chestnut mushrooms
A few sprigs of rosemary
100g cheddar cheese
2 tbsp plain flour
30g butter
salt and pepper
For a Pie
500g block of puff pastry
100g cheddar cheese
1 egg
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 190ºC.
2. Peel and roughly chop the onions. In a large, heavy-based saucepan or casserole dish,
heat a glug of oil, add the onions, stirring occasionally and fry gently for 10 minutes.
3. Peel and chop the garlic and carrots, slice the celery, and quarter the mushrooms.
Pick and chop the rosemary leaves. Cut the beef into 2cm cubes.
4. After 10 minutes, throw in the butter, followed by the garlic, mushrooms, carrots and
celery and give it all a stir. After a minute or so add the cubed beef and rosemary and a
good grind of salt and pepper. Turn the heat up and stir it for a few minutes, until the
beef is browning. Sprinkle over the flour and stir in. Pour in the ale and add enough
water to just about cover it. Put a lid on the pan and bring it to the boil.
5. Put the casserole dish in the oven for two and a half hours, carefully removing it every
hour or so to give it a good stir. After two and a half hours it should be nice and thick;
if not, give it a bit longer over a low heat on the hob, stirring every few minutes.
6. After cooking, leave it to cool for a few minutes, grate the cheese and stir in. Taste and
a little more pepper if required.
7. Serve the stew straight from the pan, with mashed potatoes and peas, or make it into
a pie – as below.
8. To make a pie, butter a suitable pie dish, and then roll out two thirds of the pastry to
line the bottom, leaving some hanging over the edges. Roll out the rest of the pastry
for a lid, scoring it diagonally with a sharp knife. Once the stew pan is cool enough
to handle, pour the stew into the pie case, then sprinkle the extra
cheese over the top. Put the lid on, and use a fork to squeeze
the pastry lid into the overhanging edges. Beat the egg and brush
a little on to the lid, and then put it all back into the oven for
40 minutes, or until the lid is rising and golden.
Orion Edgar, Barmouth, North Wales
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