Nothing screams comfort food like a slow cooked Irish inspired beef pie topped with creamy mash. Infused with Guinness, the tender chunks of beef laced with herbs were ‘melt in your mouth’ material and the richness was lifted a little with the earthy lightness of a celeriac topping. Jesus, Mary and Holy Saint Joseph……. I love food.
Prep time: 30 Minutes Cooking time: 3.5 Hours $ Low Budget
* Suitable for the slow cooker just prepare on the stove top and then cook on low for 8 hours or high for 6 hours.
Serves 4
Oil for frying
800gm of gravy beef, cut into 2 inch chunks
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 large brown onion, halved and sliced
8 thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
2 tbs of plain flour
1 cup of beef stock
440ml can of Guinness
1 large carrot, halved and sliced
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
For the Mash:
1 large celeriac, peeled and cut into chunks
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
40gm of butter
1/2 cup of milk
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
1/2 cup of grated parmesan
Heat a large casserole or pan to a nice high heat and add a little oil. Brown the beef in batches until golden and caramelised. Remove from the pan and set aside.
In the same pan add a little more oil and fry the onion until soft. To save stripping the thyme leaves tie them and the bay leaves together with a piece of kitchen string and pop it and the garlic in with the onions. Fry for a minute or so until aromatic and then sprinkle over the flour. Stir the mixture, cooking the flour for a minute or so before pouring in the Guinness and stock. Continue stirring until the sauce starts to thicken and all of the lumps are gone. Return the beef to the pan along with the carrots and season generously with salt and pepper. Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a simmer. (This is where I would transfer to the slow cooker). Cover the mixture with a piece of baking paper, laying it right on top and tucking the sides down gently. Place a lid on and simmer on a low heat for 21/2-3 hours or until the meat melts in your mouth when you try a sneaky little piece.
Pre heat the oven to 180°C
Place the celeriac and potatoes in a large pot of water. Bring to the boil and cook for approximately 20 minutes or until tender when pierced with a knife. Once tender, drain well and return to a low heat. Mash with a potato masher and then add half the milk and the butter. Season well with salt and pepper and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon, until light and fluffy. If the mixture is a bit too stiff add the remaining milk and stir to combine.
Remove the baking paper from the stew and fish out the thyme stalks and bay leaves and discard. Either place the meat mixture in a large casserole or divide it between four 2 cup capacity mini pie dishes. Divide the mash over the top and spread out gently with the back of a fork. Sprinkle over parmesan cheese and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden and bubbling. Serve with steamed greens or salad leaves. Cheers!