Cooking with beer

In honour of British Pie Week, the Commercial Room treats you to a recipe for a cracking Welsh inspired pie.

Brains dark beef, leek, shallot and parsnip pie

For the filling

You will need:

• 1 Topside steak (diced)
• 1 large sized leek (sliced)
• 10 whole shallots
• 1 beef stock cube
• 1 bottle of Brains Dark
• 4 mini parsnips (chopped)
• A handful of fresh parsley
• Worcester Sauce
• Salt & pepper
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 heaped tsp plain flour

Ingredients
Photo - Paul Evans

Method:

1. Dice the beef and fry in a little oil, in a deep pan over a high heat.
2. Season the meat with salt and pepper, add a splash of Worcester sauce and crumble in the stock cube.
3. Add the plain flour and mix in, ensuring all the meat is coated.
4. Add the whole shallots and pour in the bottle of beer, reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
5. Add the chopped parsnips and sliced leeks, and simmer for a further 15 minutes.
6. Add the chopped parsley and reduce the liquid, until thick and sticky.
7. Remove from the heat and place in a bowl. Set the mixture aside and allow to cool slightly.

Photo - Paul Evans

Photo - Paul Evans

For the pastry:

You will need:

• 200g plain flour
• 110g butter
• 2-3 table spoons of cold water
• Pinch of salt

Method:

1. Place the flour, butter and salt in a bowl.
2. Massage the ingredients through your fingers until it becomes a fine and consistent mixture.
3. Add the water to the mixture and stir through until it binds into a dough.
4. Wrap the dough in cling film and place in the fridge to cool for 15-30 minutes.
5. Remove from the fridge and roll to your desired size and thickness.

Photo - Paul Evans

For the pie:

1. Spoon the filling into your desired dish/dishes.
2. Carefully roll the pastry over the top, trim to size, and seal the edges with your fingers.
3. Brush the pastry with a beaten egg, and place a slit in the middle of the pie to allow the steam to escape.
4. Cook in a pre-heated oven, at 180 degrees centigrade (gas mark 4), until the pastry is golden and the mixture begins to bubble - around 25 minutes.
5. Enjoy!

Photo - Paul Evans