Rustic Beef and Guinness Pot Pie

Julianne De Witt
Vancouver

Hello, I'm Julianne De Witt! The kitchen is my happy place and where I spend the most time when I'm at home. I love everything about cooking - planning what to eat, shopping for the ingredients, and preparing and eating all the yummy foods! I live in Vancouver with my husband Patrick, my two sons Jack and Henry, and our 140+ Ib wonderful slobbery Newfoundland dog, Arlo. Patrick is a type 1 diabetic and has been since the age of 6 years old and to support his (our) health, we stick to a mostly paleo diet but we really enjoy everything in moderation. Sometimes we need a big plate of pasta or chocolate or a glass of wine (or 3 - who am I kidding ha!). My kiddos, of course, love their carbs!

Julianne De Witt

There’s no greater comfort food than a big, hearty stew. Topped with flaky, buttery puffed pastry, you’ve got yourself a rustic pot pie. Guinness Beer gives the base an incredibly rich, deep flavour and the beef is fall apart tender.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp canola oil

• 1 kg chuck stewing meat cut into bite size pieces

• 2 pinches salt

• 4 slices bacon diced

• 2 carrots peeled and diced

• 3 stalk of celery diced

• 3 cloves garlic minced

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 1 tbsp dried thyme

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1 large can Guinness

• 2 cups beef broth

• 2 bay leaves

• ¼ cup flour mixed in 1/3 cup water for thickening

• 2 cups mushrooms quartered

• 2 cups pearl onions peeled

• 2 tbsp Worchestershire sauce

• 1 pkg of Tenderflake puff pastry thawed

• flour for rolling out pastry

• 1/3 cup milk

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Heat frying pan over high heat, add canola oil and working in small batches, brown the meat on two sides. Add to medium dutch oven.

3. Add bacon, carrots, celery and garlic to frying pan, sauté until onions are translucent. Stir in tomato paste, thyme and salt and pepper and add to dutch oven.

4. Add mushrooms, onions, Guinness, beef broth, bay leaves and flour/water mixture to dutch oven, stir, cover with lid and place in oven. Cook for 1 ½ hrs.

5. Ladle stew into 4 (14-ounce) ramekins, filling to one inch from the top. Let cool slightly.

6. Roll out thawed puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out 4 circles that are 1 inch wider than ramekins. Prick each pastry circle several times with a fork.

7. Brush a little milk around outside of ramekins. Top each ramekin with a puff pastry circle, pressing edges over sides to seal, making that pastry is taut. Brush pastry with a little milk.

8. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Transfer ramekins to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until puff pastry is deep golden brown and filling is bubbling, 35-40 minutes.