Drink Warehouse UK Blogs

Published on March 6, 2023.

Get it?

As a nation of pie fanatics, it often seems that we love nothing more than a wholesome pie and British Pie Week is the perfect opportunity to celebrate that. Did you know that 75% of people enjoy these pastry treats at last once a month? Why not create your own pies to put on your menu (or you could follow DWUK’s recipes for some extra hap-pie customers)?

Steak and Guinness Pie  

Ingredients

  • 900g braising steak, cut into bite-sized cubes
  • 30g plain flour
  • 1 tsp mustard powder
  • 2 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
  • 3 celery sticks, cut diagonally into slices 2½cm thick
  • 2 large carrots, cut into 1cm thick rings, then quartered
  • 500ml Guinness
  • 200ml beef stock
  • 2 tbsp redcurrant jelly
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 500g puff pastry
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
  • 1 egg, beaten

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C/fan 140°C/gas mark 3. Pat the meat dry with kitchen paper. Put the flour on a large plate or tray, then add the mustard and season. Coat one-third of the meat in the flour. Heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan until hot and fry the floured meat over a medium-high heat. Remove the meat from the pan using a slotted spoon and transfer to a flameproof casserole dish. Divide the remaining meat into 2 batches and repeat the flouring and browning, adding more oil if needed. Add the onion to the frying pan, with a little more oil if necessary, and fry for 3 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Add the celery and carrots and stir to mix, then fry for 2 minutes before tipping the vegetables on top of the meat in the casserole. Pour the Guinness and stock into the casserole dish and add the redcurrant jelly. Mix well and bring to the boil, stirring. Add the bay leaves and season. Cover the casserole and cook for 2½ hours or until the meat is tender. Remove from the oven, taste the gravy for seasoning and leave until cold.

Preheat the oven to 220°C/fan 200°C/gas mark 7. Roll out the pastry and cut out a lid and a strip for the lip of the pie dish. Remove the bay leaves from the casserole and stir in the parsley and thyme, then transfer the meat and vegetables to the pie dish using a large spoon, together with enough of the gravy to come just below the lip of the dish. Brush water around the lip of the dish then cut the pastry strip into smaller pieces and place the strips on the moistened lip. Moisten the strips, cover with the lid and press to seal. Trim and scallop the edge, then brush the pastry lid with beaten egg to glaze. Use the trimmings to make decorations and re-glaze with as much of the remaining egg as needed. Cut a small slit in the centre of the lid. Bake the pie for 30-35 minutes or until the pastry is risen and golden brown. If you have any gravy left over, reheat until bubbling, pour it into a jug, and serve alongside the pie.

Vegan Berry Pie

Ingredients

  • Vegan pie crust (double crust)
  • 775 g mixed berries (fresh or frozen)
  • 55 g granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons ground chia seeds optional, but recommended
  • 85 g vegan butter
  • 4 tbsp aquafaba or dairy-free milk

Method

Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C. Roll one of the pie dough discs to fit a 9-inch pan, leaving some overhang. Cover and refrigerate. Add berries, sugar, and lemon juice to a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until the berries release their juices, around 5 minutes. Turn heat down to low and spoon about ½ cup of the berry sauce into a bowl. Add the cornstarch to the bowl and stir until combined to create a slurry. Turn the heat back up to medium and let the berries come back to a simmer. Pour in the berry slurry. Gently stir, being careful not to burst the berries, and cook until thickened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add vegan butter and chia seeds. Gently stir. Set aside to cool for a few minutes. Pour the blueberry filling into the prepared pie crust.

On a lightly floured counter roll out the second dough disc into a 12-inch circle. Use a pizza cutter to cut into 10 strips, about 1 inch wide. A Strips: Lay 5 of the longest strips across the pie, equally spaced.B Strips: The remaining strips are referred to as B strips. Pull back every other A strip of dough and lay one of the B strips down. Pull the A strips back up, over the B strips. Now alternate and pull back the other A strips and add another B strip of dough. Pull those up and over that strip. Repeat this process. Trim any strips hanging over the edge and then pinch the crusts together and crimp the edges.

Brush the top of the crust with vegan egg wash. Cover the edges with a bit of foil. Bake at 400°F/200°C for 20 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Remove the pie crust shield and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool for 1 to 2 hours. Once the pie is cooled you can refrigerate it or cut into slices and serve.

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About the author

Chloe Lewis

Chloe looks after all copywriting and proof-reading for Drink Warehouse UK, working with the Marketing team to deliver educational content to all our customers. She has spent many years in the hospitality sector, moving from behind the bar to now helping venues to stock their own. You can find more from Chloe about beer, cider, spirits, wine, non-alcoholic, soft drinks and RTDs all over our blogs, website, social media and Set The Bar magazine. 

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