Beef Pie With Crisp Potato Crust

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 500g beef braising steak, cut into chunks
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 250g pack oyster mushrooms , sliced if large
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp flour
• 100ml red wine
• 200ml hot beef stock, from a cube
• 350g potatoes, peeled
• 25g butter, chopped into small pieces

Method

1. Heat oil in a non-stick pan over a high heat. Add beef and cook for 10 mins until browned all over, then remove from pan.
2. Cook onion for 7 mins until softened. Stir through mushrooms, then cook for 3 mins more until golden. Stir in tomato paste and flour and cook for 1 min more. Pour in wine and beef stock, bring to a simmer.
3. Add beef back to pan. Cook, uncovered, over a gentle heat for around 2 hrs until meat is really tender, topping up with water if needed.
4. Pour mixture into a 2 litre baking dish.
5. Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5 and bring a pan of lightly salted water to the boil.
6. Cook the potatoes for 10 mins until beginning to soften. Cool under a running tap, then coarsely grate. Sprinkle over the beef and dot with butter.
7. Pop in the oven and cook for 30 mins until the crust is nice and crispy.