Steak and Guinness pie

  <sup>700g stewing steak,
  2 leeks trimmed and cut into rounds
  2 carrots peeled and diced
  1 onion coarsely chopped
  2 cloves of garlic crushed
  250g mushrooms,
  100g bacon bits,
  1 tsp dried thyme
  2 tbsp plain flour,
  330 ml can of Guinness,
  2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce,
  1 bay leaf,
  handful of parsley chopped/whazzed
  pkt ready made puff pastry,
  melted butter for brushing the pastry olive oil to fry ingredients.

Preheat oven to 160C /325F/gas 3. Start by frying in a heavy based casserole the cubed meat until brown, add sliced onions, garlic, carrots,mushrooms, bacon bits stir and coat in oil, add flour mix thoroughly, add Guiness and a good splash of Worcestershire sauce, and enough water to cover the mixture! stir the mixture well. Add bay leaf, put lid on pop into preheated oven for a good 1.5 hours. Remove casserole. Mix together heaped teaspoon of cocoa powder and bistro granules with a bit of water and add to the gravy for a rich dark colour. Leave to cool and store until the next day or when you plan to cook your pie.

Preheat oven to 200C/400F/gas 6. Transfer meat and gravy mixture into a pie dish cover with puff pastry, crimp the edges roughly and make length ways slits on the diagonal stripes. Brush pastry with melted butter and bake in preheated oven for 20-30 minutes until golden. Serve with creamy mash potatoes and peas.
recipe Makes enough for 4-6 people or two helpings.</sup>