Steak and Kidney Pie

Soak the kidney pieces in cold salted water for 30 minutes, then drain and pat thoroughly dry with kitchen paper. Pat the beef chuck dry as well.

Toss both meats together with the plain flour, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated. Finely dice the onions and celery, mince the garlic, and quarter the mushrooms.

Make the rough-puff pastry: combine the flour and fine salt in a large bowl, add the cold butter cubes and toss briefly to coat. Using your fingertips, flatten each butter cube into the flour — work quickly, leaving large, visible flakes. Add the ice-cold water a little at a time, pressing the dough together until it just holds.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, shape into a rough rectangle, and roll out to approximately 40 × 15 cm. Fold the bottom third up and the top third down (a letter fold), rotate 90°, and repeat twice more. Wrap in cling film.

Rest the pastry in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Heat 2 tablespoons of dripping in a large, heavy-based casserole over high heat until shimmering. Sear the beef and kidney in batches — do not crowd the pan — for 3–4 minutes per batch, turning once, until deeply browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining dripping to the casserole. Cook the onions and celery for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden.

Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the paste darkens slightly and smells caramelised.

Pour in the Guinness, scraping the bottom of the pan vigorously with a wooden spoon to lift all the browned bits. Let it bubble for 3 minutes until slightly reduced.

Return the browned meats to the casserole with the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover with a lid and cook over the lowest heat for 1 hour 30 minutes, until the beef is nearly tender.

Stir in the quartered mushrooms and English mustard and cook uncovered for a further 20–25 minutes, until the gravy is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves, taste, and adjust seasoning. Transfer the filling to a 24 cm deep pie dish and allow to cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C / 400°F / gas mark 6).

On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled pastry out to a circle approximately 4 cm larger than the top of your pie dish. Cut a 2 cm strip from the edge of the pastry, brush the rim of the pie dish with egg wash, and press the strip onto the rim. Brush the strip with egg wash, then drape the pastry lid over the top, pressing firmly to seal. Trim any excess and crimp the edges. Cut a small cross in the centre to vent steam, then brush the entire surface generously with egg wash.

Bake for 30–35 minutes until the pastry is a deep, burnished golden brown and the filling is bubbling through the vent. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.