Savory Pastry Comfort

Watching Jamie Oliver’s new TV show inspired this dish. Strangely, the recipe for his beef, cheese and Guinness pie was never posted on the Food Network, so I have to improvise. This is the perfect food for a cold winter night.

Beef Pot Pie

2 sweet onions, sliced in thin rounds
4 large cloves of garlic, minced
3 carrots, finely diced
3 ribs of celery, finely diced
3 packages of sliced baby Portobello mushrooms
3-5 sprigs of thyme
3 bay leaves
2 lbs brisket, cut into bit size pieces
1 carbon beef stock
1-2 cups old red wine
olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper
1 lb grated cheddar cheese
1 sheet puff pastry
Frozen organic sweet peas

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil on medium high in a heavy bottom large stockpot or Dutch oven. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until they turn soft and start to brown. Add the carrots and celery and sauté them for about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and spices and continue to cook. Season the veggies with salt and pepper. Add the beef, wine and stock and cover the pot with the lid. Cook on medium, stirring occasionally for several hours until most of the liquid is evaporated. Cool over night in the oven so that the flavors bloom.

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat the pot of beef back on the stove to a low boil. Mix in a small hang full of cheese, reserving the majority of the cheese. Fill a glass-baking dish with the beef mixture, covering the top with the majority of the cheese. Cover the dish with the puff pastry and back in the oven till the pastry is golden brown and puffy.

Cool the pie on the stovetop while you heat the peas in a small saucepan with a sprinkle of salt. Serve a chunk of the beef and pastry with a good hearty serving of peas.