The days are getting shorter and the nights cooler, which means it’s time to bring out the comfort foods! These individual pot pies are like a warm hug in a bowl – and they’re easy to make. Enjoy them on a rainy night in, perhaps with a glass of red.
Makes 4 pies
1kg chuck steak, cut into 2cm pieces
1/3 cup plain flour
3 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, chopped into 1cm pieces
1 leek, chopped into 1cm pieces
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp paprika
1 cup red wine (see tip)
4 baby carrots, cut into 1cm pieces
1½ cups beef or vegetable stock
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, partially thawed
1 tbsp sesame seeds
- Preheat oven to 220°C. Dust steak with well-seasoned flour and set aside.
- Heat ¼ of the oil in a large casserole pot with a lid on medium high heat. Pan fry steak in two or three batches until brown on all sides, being careful not to overcrowd the pan, then transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining steak.
- Add a little more oil to pan as needed and lower heat to medium. Sauté onion and leek until translucent and tender, then add garlic and paprika and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Return meat to the pan, add wine and let simmer for 1-2 minutes. Add carrots and stock and stir to combine. Cover with a lid and cook for 1-1.5 hours, until steak is tender and almost falling apart. Remove lid and let simmer over a low heat to reduce liquid if needed.
- Divide mixture between 1-cup capacity ovenproof ramekins. Cut out a circle of pastry for each ramekin, big enough to leave a small overhang. Brush each ramekin rim with egg wash and carefully place pastry on top to create a lid. Brush pastry with more egg wash and scatter sesame seeds on top.
- Bake pies in oven until golden and risen, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer to individual plates to serve.
Top tip: If you don’t have any red wine handy, simply use vegetable or beef stock instead.
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