Indulge in a delicious and hearty meal with this Beef and Ale Guinness Pie. Tender chunks of beef are cooked in a rich ale sauce, then baked under a flaky puff pastry crust. This savoury pie is sure to be a crowd-pleaser, perfect for a cosy night in or a comforting family dinner. Many thanks to AGA Demonstrator Naomi Hansell for sharing this lovely recipe with us.

Serves 6
Ingredients
For the filling:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 leek, finely sliced
250g button mushrooms (optional)
1 kg casserole or stewing beef, in 2cm cubes. Shin is an ideal cut to use.
3 tbsp plain flour
200 ml ale - a dark ale such as Guiness is perfect
2 tbsp HP sauce
1 tsp English or French mustard
1 tsp dried or 2 - 3 tbsp fresh thyme, oregano, parsley or mixed herbs
1 tsp salt
A few grinds of black pepper
For the topping:
250g puff pastry
1 egg yolk and 2 tbsp milk, lightly beaten together
You will need a large pan or casserole and a deep pie dish, approx 1.5 litre. The Portmeirion for AGA Pie Dish is ideal and can be used to freeze the pie in then cooked from the freezer.
Method
1. To make the pie filling, heat a large pan on the AGA simmering plate and add 2 tbsp olive oil.
2. Add the onions, leek and a pinch of salt and cook on the AGA simmering plate for 10 - 15 minutes until soft.
3. Move the pan to the boiling plate, add the beef, stir well and cook briefly until beginning to colour.
4. Add the flour, stir well and then add the ale, HP sauce, mustard, herbs, 1 tsp salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
5. Bring to a simmer, add the button mushroom if using, stir, then put the lid on and transfer to the AGA simmering oven for 2 - 3 hours until the beef is meltingly tender.
6. Once the filling is tender and delicious, unroll or roll out the pastry to approx 30cm x 15cm, or the size of your pie dish, using the dish to guide to cut to the size of the top. Lay the pastry on to a chopping board and crimp the edges with a fork. Set aside for a moment or keep in the fridge until the filling is ready.
7. Remove the pan with the filling from the oven, check the beef and make sure it is tender and season with salt and pepper if necessary. Cool for a moment or two.
8. Carefully spoon the filling into the pie dish.
9. With the pastry topping still on a chopping board, brush with the beaten egg mixture then place it on top of the pie. Make a few slits in the pastry to allow the steam to escape during cooking.
10. The pie can be prepared in advance up to this point and chilled or frozen until needed.
To bake the pie, cook in the AGA roasting oven on the 4th set of runners for 20 - 30 mins until the pastry is cooked and golden and the filling is hot - insert a sharp knife through one of the slits and check it is hot when it comes out.
To bake from frozen, cook in the AGA roasting oven for 30 - 40 mins.
11. If at any point the pastry is cooked on top while the filling needs longer, simply insert the AGA cold plain shelf above and continue to cook as needed.