Peppered Beef Pie with Mushrooms and Apple Pie de Luxe
His and Hers Recipes
Show me the man who can walk away from a robust and full flavoured meat pie. The secret to success is two-fold. Start with the right fore-quarter cut of meat such as brisket, bolo or thick flank and add one lamb's kidney. Do not buy pre-cut stewing steak, as you don't know which part of the carcass it comes from! The single kidney gives amazing flavour depth without adding any kidney taste. I have also found with much trial and error that it is best not to brown the meat beforehand for this recipe, but simply to simmer it slowly and then to add the aromatics.
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
½ t (2,5 ml) Ina Paarman's Green Onion Seasoning
750 g well matured, boneless beef brisket, bolo or thick flank cubed 3 cm x 3cm
1 lamb's kidney, split horizontally, cut out the white membranes and cube
3 cups (750 ml) boiling water
2 T (30 ml) Ina Paarman's Beef Stock Powder or 3 x 25 g Ina Paarman's Liquid Beef Stock
2 T (30 ml) balsamic vinegar
2 T (30 ml) potato flour or cornflour
¼ cup (60 ml) cold water
3 T (45 ml) Ina Paarman's Tomato Pesto
2 T (30 ml) Worcester sauce
2 t (10 ml) Ina Paarman's Garlic Pepper Seasoning
2 x 200 ml Ina Paarman's Ready to Serve Pepper Sauce
2 t (10 ml) fresh thyme leaves
250 g mushrooms, sliced
1 T (15 ml) canola oil
1 T (15 ml) butter
1 t (5 ml) Ina Paarman's Chilli & Garlic Seasoning
Cover the base of a large heavy bottomed saucepan with the onions pre-seasoned with Green Onion Seasoning. Top with the cubed beef and kidney. Dissolve Stock Powder or Liquid Stock in the boiling water and add together with balsamic vinegar. Bring to a very slow simmer, cover with a light fitting lid. Simmer for 3-3½ hours until the meat is fork tender. Thicken with potato or cornflour mixed with water. Remove from the heat and stir in the Tomato Pesto, Worcester sauce, Garlic Pepper Seasoning, Pepper Sauce and thyme. Taste for seasoning and leave to cool down completely. Can be prepared in advance to this stage.
Sauté the mushrooms in a mixture of oil and butter, when just beginning to draw water, remove from the heat and season with Chilli & Garlic Seasoning. Cool down. Dish the cooked meat mixture into a pie dish. Place a small ramekin half-filled with water in the centre of the dish, to support the pastry. Top with mushrooms and cover with pastry as illustrated in our video cookery lesson. Remember, do not prick the pastry as the steam will help to puff it up nicely. Leave the pastry covered pie to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 200°C. Bake for 35-40 minutes.
Sour Cream Pastry recipe
This pie freezes exceptionally well. To defrost, cover it with foil to prevent condensation on the pastry and bake for an extra 10-15 minutes because the filling will probably still be a little colder than room temperature.
This recipe has become one of my secret weapons, it is irresistibly delicious. Suitable for a teatime treat or a dessert. The combination of sweet and tart apples with orange, honey, raisins and butter cannot be beaten. The cookie topping bakes up crisp and delicious. This recipe freezes very successfully.
Cookie topping
1 x 390 g Ina Paarman’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
1 t (5 ml) ground cinnamon
125 g butter at room temperature
1 extra large or jumbo egg at room temperature
Fruit
125 g butter
8 red skinned apples, peeled (we used Pink Lady)
5 Granny Smith apples, peeled
rind of 1 orange
6½ T (100 ml) honey
juice of two oranges
pinch of salt
1 cup (170 g) seedless raisins
Citrus cream
1 cup (250 ml) fresh cream
pinch of salt
¼ t (1 ml) ground cinnamon
¼ t (1 ml) ground ginger
1 T (15 ml) sugar
1 T (15 ml) orange liqueur or orange juice
½ cup (125 ml) plain full cream yoghurt
Cookie topping
Remove chocolate chips from pack and save for another use. Add cinnamon to dry Cookie Mix. Mix according to package instructions. Roll into two balls, wrap them in clingfilm and refrigerate. We need the dough to be hard so it will grate easily. Can be made the day before.
Fruit
Cut the apples into wedges. Brown the butter lightly in a large, heavy based frying pan over high heat and stir-fry the fruit in the butter until it is nicely coated with browned butter. Add the orange rind, honey, orange juice, salt and raisins and cook open over high heat until a thick syrup forms. Allow to cool.
Adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Butter 1 x 23 cm round pie dish and 3 x 11 cm round mini dishes. Dish the apple filling into the pie dishes. Remove the chilled cookie mix balls from the fridge and coarsely grate over the apples.
Bake for 35 - 40 minutes until golden brown. Serve with Citrus Cream or ice cream.
Citrus cream
To make the citrus cream, half whip the cream with the salt and spices. Add the sugar and whip until firm. Fold in the liqueur or orange juice and yoghurt. Cover and chill.
The reasons for using both Pink Lady and Granny Smith apples are:
• Both hold their shape and don’t break up when cooked.
• A mixture of sweet and tart apples works brilliantly.
