Spiced Beef and Mushroom Pie

A wonderful comfort meal.  Chunks of carrots and zucchini may be added for the last half hour of cooking the meat, if desired.  From Food and Drink 2000.

15 g dried porcini mushrooms You can use sauteed mushrooms if you can't find these - just skip the soaking and use vegetable stock for the mushroom liquid
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp paprika
Pinch cayenne
Salt and freshly ground pepper
500 g stewing beef, cut in 1 inch pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup red wine
1 1/2 cups beef stock
2 tbsp butter
300 g button mushrooms
1/2 No Fail Pastry crust (see following)
1 egg, beaten with a pinch of salt

1. Cover porcini mushroom with 1 cup boiling water.  Let sit for 20 minutes or until mushrooms are softened.  Strain, reserving mushrooms and liquid separately.
2. Preheat oven to 325 F.
3. Combine thyme, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper.  Toss meat with half of mixture, reserving remainder.  Heat oil in heavy skillet on high heat.  Add meat in batches, do not crowd pan, and brown on all sides.  Remove and continue until all meat is browned, adding more oil if needed.
4. Reduce heat to medium and add onion and garlic.  Saute until onions are softened, about 2 minutes.  Stir in remaining spice mixture, rosemary and flour.  Cook until flour colours to pale gold.  Pour in wine, bring to boil, stirring, add stock and mushroom soaking liquid.  Bring to boil, reduce heat to low and return meat.  Place in ovenproof casserole or Dutch oven, cover and cook until meat is just tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
5. Heat butter in skillet on medium high heat.  Add button and reserved porcini mushrooms and saute for 3 minutes or until softened.  Season well with salt and pepper.  Mix with meat.
6. Place mixture in a 4 cup deep dish pie plate or ovenproof baking dish.  Roll out pastry 1 1/2 inches larger than dish.  Cut 1 inch wide strips from edges of pastry.  Brush edge of dish with water and lay strips on it.  Brush with egg.  Lay pastry on top sealing edges.  Cut a steam hole, decorate with any extra pastry and brush the top with egg.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until pastry is golden and filling is hot.

 NO FAIL PASTRY FOR SAVOURY TARTS

3 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut in 8 pieces

1/2 cup vegetable shortening, cut in 8 pieces

1/3 cup cold water

2 tbsp white vinegar

1. In a bowl, combine flour and salt.  With a pastry blender or fingers, cut in butter and vegetable shortening until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
2. Combine water and vinegar and sprinkle over flour mixture a little at a time tossing together with a fork until the pastry is moist enough to hold its shape when a little piece is pressed between the fingers.
3. Gather pastry into a ball: it should not feel sticky
4. Flour the counter or pastry board lightly.  With a floured rolling pin, roll the pastry out into a rectangle approximately 8 x 12 inches fold the pastry into thirds like a letter.  Turn the dough so the open edges face you and roll out into a rectangle again.   Repeat this procedure again.  Cover dough with plastic wrap and chill one hour.
5. For smaller pies, use half the dough, larger ones need two thirds or all of it.  Freeze any remaining dough for another occasion.  Dough should be rolled 1/4 inch thick.

PASTRY TIPS

• When making pastry in a food processor, make sure butter and shortening are cold before adding.  Never let pastry form a ball in processor - it would be over worked and tough.
• If you have trouble rolling pastry out, try rolling between two sheets of plastic wrap or wax paper.  
• If desired, add other flavouring into the pastry such as herbs, grated cheese, crumbled bacon, lemon or orange rind.
• Turn dough into a sweet pastry by adding 1 tbsp sugar to the original recipe.