This is all my favourite flavours packed into one pie. It’s rich and warming and perfect for a hearty dinner.  

Serves 4-6  

Ingredients 

• 2 tablespoons cooking oil  
• 1 large onion, diced  
• 1 large carrot, diced  
• 500g rump steak, chopped roughly  
• 2 heaped tablespoons plain flour  
• 1/3 cup red wine  
• 1-1 ½ cups stock or water  
• 2 bay leaves  
• ½ teaspoon each sea salt + coarsely ground black pepper  
• 200g Portobello or brown mushrooms, chopped roughly  
• 2 sheets flaky puff pastry (or one each of short and puff)  
• 1 egg, lightly beaten for egg wash  

Method 

1. Gently fry onions and carrots in oil in a medium saucepan for 5-7 minutes. Remove from saucepan. Add a splash more oil.  
2. Liberally toss the steak in flour, then brown in 2-3 batches.  
3. Add all the veges and meat back into saucepan, pour over the wine and simmer for 2-3 minutes.  
4. Pour in stock and add in bay leaves and seasoning, then cover and cook for 40 minutes or until the meat is very tender.  
5. Add mushrooms and cook for a further 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Cool filling.  
6. Heat the oven to 180C fan bake and place a tray in to preheat.  
7. Roll out the pastry and line a 23 cm pie dish with it, nudging it into the corners. Spoon in filling, heaping it higher in the middle.  
8. Brush edges with egg wash, then then cover with a pastry lid, pressing/pinching it together with the bottom pastry layer to seal.  
9. Make a few slashes in the top (to allow the steam to escape when cooking), then brush beaten egg all over and bake for 45-50 minutes on a preheated tray.  
10. Allow to cool for 10 minutes then serve in hearty wedges.  

Nici’s note:  

Follow these golden rules for pie-making: preheat a tray to cook your pie on to ensure cooked pastry, always cool the filling before assembling, cuts or holes in the pastry lid allow steam to escape and ensure a crisp pastry shell. 

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