Beef and Guinness Pie with Kale Colcannon

This rich and tasty pie is the real deal. It's a real pie, not a bowl of stew with shop-bought puff pastry on top! And to go with it, an Irish classic, colcannon with kale.

Make The Filling

Transfer the beef to the vessel you are going to cook the filling in. You can do it in a large saucepan, slow-cooker/crockpot, pressure cooker or as a casserole in a low oven. Add the stock and the Guinness, bring to the boil, and skim of any scum that rises to the surface.

Chop the carrots and celery into small dice and add them to the beef. Peel and chop the onions into small pieces and when you have browned off all the beef, turn down the heat and sauté the onions until soft but not browned. Add them to the beef and vegetables, then finely chop the parsley and throw that in. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

If you are using a pressure cooker, bring it up to pressure and cook for 30 minutes. If using a saucepan, it will take 3½ hours for the meat to be properly tender. When the beef is cooked, you might want to reduce the amount of liquid by rapid boiling, and thicken it by sifting in some flour. Let the filling cool completely before using it: you might want to pop it in the freezer if you are short of time.

Make The Pastry

Assemble and Bake the Pie

Beat an egg and mix a splash of milk in. Paint this mixture all over the top and the edges. Bake for 25 minutes, then check how the pie is browning - you might want to turn it round and give it another 10-15 minutes.

Make the Colcannon