Beef And Stilton Pie - cooking recipe

Ingredients

250 g puff pastry (buy it pre-prepared, lifes too short to make puff pastry)
1 kg braising steak, cut into chunks
2 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed
1 small bunch fresh thyme
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
400 ml leicestershire pale ale
2 tablespoons plain flour, seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
100 g chestnut button mushrooms
8 shallots, peeled, halved
500 ml beef stock
75 g Stilton cheese, crumbled
salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten (for glazing the pastry)

Preparation

Use the pastry to line a medium sized oven proof pie dish.
For the pie filling, place the beef, garlic, thyme, peppercorns and ale into a bowl. Cover with cling film and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours, but preferably overnight.
Remove the beef from the marinade, pat dry with kitchen paper and dredge in the seasoned flour. Strain the marinade through a fine sieve into a clean bowl and set aside.
Heat the oil and 1 tbsp of the butter in a flameproof casserole dish and fry the beef in small batches for 2-3 minutes each time, or until browned all over. Once the meat is browned, remove from the casserole dish and set aside.
Return the casserole dish to the heat and fry the mushrooms and shallots for 4-5 minutes, or until softened.
Return the beef and the reserved marinating liquid to the casserole and add the beef stock. Cover with a lid and gently simmer for 11/2 hours, or until the beef is tender.
Strain off half of the cooking liquid from the casserole dish and set aside to make gravy for serving.
Crumble the Stilton into the casserole and stir until melted. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper and set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
Put the pie filling into the pie shell and top with a layer of pastry. -Remember to cut slits in the top and crimp the edges together, then glaze with beaten egg.
Cook for approx 40 mins until pastry is golden.
Place the reserved cooking liquid into a clean pan and simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until reduced to a gravy consistency. Stir in the remaining tbsp of butter until melted, and the sauce is smooth and glossy. Keep warm.
Serve the pie with the gravy and veg (celeriac mash goes well).