Ingredients
1. Chill between each stage for clean assembly
Chilling the beef mixture first, then chilling again once wrapped in the pancake, helps the pie hold its shape. Cold filling is easier to wrap in pastry and prevents the puff pastry from melting before it hits the oven.
2. Cook the mushrooms until completely dry
Take time to sauté the mushrooms, shallots, and garlic until all moisture has evaporated. A dry mushroom duxelles is essential, as excess water will make the pastry soggy and weaken the structure of the pie.
3. Seal and vent the pastry properly
Brush egg wash between the pastry layers to create a tight seal, then pierce a small hole in the centre to allow steam to escape. This ensures the pastry rises evenly, bakes crisp, and doesn’t burst during cooking.
Serves 2
- 220g minced beef
- 100g sausage meat
- 50g mature cheddar, grated
- 2 tbsp breadcrumb
- 2 shallots, finely diced ( 1+1)
- 4 Cloves Garlic, crushed (2+2)
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tsp dry mixed herbs
- 2-3 pancake, ready-made
- 200g mushrooms, chopped
- 100g spinach
- 250g puff pastry
- Salt and pepper
To serve – optional
- mash potato
- mushroom gravy
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180˚C.
- In a large bowl, combine the minced beef, sausage meat, one finely sliced shallot, 2 chopped cloves garlic, cheddar, breadcrumb. Add also the tomato puree, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and season with salt and pepper. Create a large ball and wrap it around the pancake. Place in the fridge for 15-20 minutes to set.
- In the meantime, in a sauté pan, drizzle more oil and add the chopped mushrooms, one chopped shallot and 2 chopped cloves garlic, sauté for 5-6 minutes until all the coloured well.
- Add the spinach and continue to cook for a further 2 minutes or so until the water is drained from the mushrooms and spinach. Set aside to cool.
- In the meantime, Cut the puff pastry in one 20cm circles and one 25cm circle.
- Place the smaller circle on the baking tray. Brush with some egg wash and place the prepared beef piece over. Add the mushroom and spinach mixture and Cover with the larger circle of puff pastry and seal the edges. Cut excess pastry if needed.
- Create a pattern over the pastry and brush once more with egg wash, and a sprinkle of black pepper. Pierce a small hole in the middle to allow extra steam to escape while baking.
- Place in the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes or until cooked in the centre.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes.
- Place on a serving board or platter and enjoy with your desired sides such as mash potato and mushroom gravy sauce.
