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Beef, mushroom and Guinness pie

Beef, mushroom and Guinness pie

This recipe appeared in the June/July 2008 issue of Gourmet Traveller WINE.

Wine to try
2006 Majella The Musician Cabernet Shiraz, Coonawarra, A$28
This classic winter pie deserves a classic Aussie red. Sure, the pie’s ingredients include Ireland’s iconic Guinness stout, but as that’s brewed here anyway, a local wine is more logical. Combining cabernet sauvignon with shiraz is a unique Australian blend that is somewhat out of fashion. These days, merlot is the preferred companion to cabernet sauvignon, while grenache, or more recently viognier, is shiraz’s trendy cohort. However, “Prof” Brian Lynn is a traditionalist who sees the benefits of combining the structure, backbone, density and intensity of cabernet sauvignon with the rich, juicy fruit flavours of shiraz. Here these varieties create a comfortable amalgam that has just enough weight and power to meet that of the beef and stout, and enough spice and funky characters to harmonise with the earthy intensity of the mushrooms.

Beef, mushroom and Guinness pie

Serves 2
60g   butter
1   onion – peeled and sliced
2   cloves garlic - finely chopped
120g   mushrooms – stems trimmed and quartered
500g   chuck steak – trimmed and cubed
2 tbsp   plain flour
200ml   beef stock
200ml   Guinness
1 tbsp   Worcestershire sauce
For pie:   puff pastry sheets
Egg wash:   1 beaten egg mixed with a little milk
To serve:   boiled potatoes


1 To make the filling, melt half the butter in a large saucepan, add the onion and garlic, cook for 5 minutes, then add the quartered mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Toss the steak in plain flour seasoned with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Melt remaining butter in the saucepan and sauté the steak for about 5-7 minutes or until browned. Return the onions and mushrooms to the pan with the meat. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, then add the stock, Guinness and Worcestershire sauce and bring to the boil. Cover and then simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the meat is tender.
2 To make the pies, fill chosen pie dishes with the filling. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface to fit the pie dishes. Brush the edge of the pie dishes with water and cut a strip of pastry to fit around this edge. Cover the pie dishes with a pastry lid, pressing the edges together with your fingers, then trim the edges. Use any remaining pastry to decorate the top of the pie. Pierce the pastry with a sharp knife and brush with the egg wash. Bake in a preheated oven at 190C for 20-30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Serve with boiled potatoes tossed with chopped parsley and butter.


RECIPE Andy Harris PHOTOGRAPHY William Meppem STYLING Andy Harris and Sabine Schmitz DRINK SUGGESTION Peter Bourne

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