Steak and Kidney Pie
Instructions:
- Begin by cooking the steak and kidney; this will take two or more hours. Cut the steak and kidney into rough cubes about lcm in size. Brown the steak and then the kidney in a frying pan with a little fat, or oil. Make sure the meat is well browned to bring out all the flavour through the Maillard reactions
- Put the browned steak and kidney in a saucepan (or casserole dish if you intend to cook the meat in the oven). Deglaze the frying pan with the stock and add to the meat in the saucepan. Simmer for about two hours, checking regularly that the liquid does not boil away.
- If you have any problems with the meat sticking to the saucepan, then use a casserole dish and cook the meat in the oven at l60°C instead.
- While the meat is cooking prepare your pastry according to the recipe above and leave it in the fridge until needed.
- When the meat is ready, remove it from the stock and set aside. Make the liquid up to about 400 ml by adding boiling water. Thicken the stock with the cornflour suspended in a little cold water - just add the suspension to the stock and bring to the boil while stirring, set aside.
- Put the steak and kidney in a suitable sized ovenproof dish (it should roughly fill the dish), add a little of the thickened stock, enough to cover the bottom of the dish a couple of millimetres deep. It is a good idea to grease the edges of the dish to prevent the pastry sticking.
- If you wish place a pastry funnel in the middle of the dish - the funnel allows steam to escape from the pie as it cooks so if you do not use a funnel you will need to make some holes in the pastry.
- Take the pastry out of the fridge and roll it into a sheet about 1em larger than the top of the dish you have used . Pick up the pastry sheet and drape it over the dish. Cut around the edges of the dish with a sharp knife and press the pastry down around the lip of the dish to make a seal. If you are not using a pie funnel cut a few holes in the pastry.
- Use the pastry trimmings to make some decorations, such as leaves, or the diners' initials, etc. Brush the top of the pastry with the beaten egg and stick on the decorations.
- Put the pie in a preheated oven at about 170°C for about 25 minutes until the pastry is browned.While the pie is cooking reheat the stock and add pepper and salt to taste to make the gravy to serve with the pie.