Beef and Oyster Pie

What you need

Ingredients

Measured for 8 servings.

• 900 gDiced Stewing Beef
• 45 mlOlive Oil
• 105 g (about 3)Shallots
• 10 gGarlic
• 125 gBacon
• 15 gThyme
• 2 leaves (about 0.4 g)Bay Leaf
• 330 mlStout
• 400 mlReady-to-use Beef Stock
• 16 gCornstarch
• 8 shucked oysters (120 g)Oysters
• 400 gPlain Flour
• 250 gButter
• 1 egg (about 50 g)Egg
• 2 gSalt

Make it

Method

1. 01

   Dice 900 g raw beef chuck and brown it in batches in 45 ml olive oil. Cook 105 g shallots, 10 g garlic and 125 g bacon in the same pan for about 5 minutes. Return beef with 15 g thyme, two bay leaves, 330 ml stout and 400 ml ready-to-use beef stock; cover and simmer gently for 90–120 minutes until fork-tender. Reserve the measured 2 g salt until the filling is tasted because bacon and stock are already salty.

2. 02

   Mix 16 g cornstarch with a little cold water, stir into the hot filling and simmer 1–2 minutes until lightly thickened. Remove bay leaves, taste, add up to the measured 2 g salt if needed, and cool the filling promptly in a shallow container. Refrigerate until cold, allowing about 60 minutes of passive chilling (included in the total time); it may be prepared a day ahead. Use eight refrigerated, properly shucked oysters, about 120 g edible meat; check for grit and shell fragments.

3. 03

   Rub 250 g cold butter into 400 g plain flour until crumbly. Add cold water spoon by spoon, only until a dough forms (up to about 325 ml). Chill for 30 minutes while the filling cools. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Roll out about two-thirds and line a deep, roughly 26 cm pie dish with room for all the filling.

4. 04

   Fill the lined dish with cooled beef and oysters. Roll the remaining dough over it, seal the edges, cut steam vents and brush with one beaten egg. Bake at 200°C for about 30–40 minutes until golden and bubbling; check that the center of this seafood-containing pie reaches at least 74°C. If the pastry browns early, cover it loosely with foil and continue baking. Rest 10 minutes before cutting into eight portions.