Steak and Ale Pie

700 g braising steak

1 large onion
flour
salt and pepper
dried or fresh herbs
150 g mushrooms
1 egg
125 ml stock (beef or any kind)
puff pastry
125 ml good beer

Chop onion. Slice mushrooms. Make a mixture of mushrooms, onion and herbs in a bowl.

Mix salt and pepper into a small pile of flour. Now roll the chunks of steak in the flour until they're coated. Make alternate layers of steak and the onions, mushrooms and herbs mix in a large pie dish.

Gently pour in the ale, then add the beef stock.

Roll the pastry on a pre-floured surface, ensuring that you make the crust big enough to overlap the sides of the pie dish by about an inch all round.

Moisten the top rim of the pie dish with a little water. Drop on the crust, then make a small incision in a cross shape with a knife. Tuck in the pastry so you're left with a small hole in the centre. Where the pastry overlaps the pie dish, trim off the excess. Keep the offcuts to one side.

Take the beaten egg and brush the pie crust with it. If you're feeling creative when attempting this steak and ale pie recipe, use the offcuts of pastry crust to make shapes to decorate the pie top. Brush these back and front with egg and attach to the top of the pie.

Bake for 30 mins in the middle of the oven. Lower the oven to 180°C and bake for 90 mins more.

Once the pastry is a deep golden brown, wet some greaseproof paper, folded double and cover the top of the pie with the wet side upwards, to prevent the crust from burning.

Serve with more of the ale you used in the recipe and a roaring open fire.