James Martin Steak Kidney Pie Recipes

STEAK AND KIDNEY WITH DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Place steak, kidney and onion in saucepan and season. Cover with stock (add more liquid if necessary) and add worcestershire sauce. Simmer 2 hours. After 90 minutes, mix plain flour with 4 tbsp water to a paste then stir into the meat and thicken slightly. To make dumplings, mix self-raising flour, butter, salt and water into a dough. Shape into dumplings the size of a dessertspoon and place on the top of the simmering meat mixture, covered, for the last 10 minutes of cooking.

A GOOD STEAK & KIDNEY PIE

Steps:

• It's important to cook the meat a day ahead, so that you can discard any fat that has risen to the top, and so that the pastry doesn't slump in the face of a too-warm filling, so up to 48 hours ahead -make the pastry. Whizz the flour and a pinch of fine sea salt together for a few seconds in a food processor, then add the butter and whizz until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs. Whisk together the egg yolk and 3 tbsp water and whizz with the pastry until it collects in a ball. Wrap in cling film and leave it to rest in the fridge for at least one hour.
• Cut button-mushroom-sized lobes of kidney from the white central core (discarding). Cut the beef into bite-sized cubes and cut the mushrooms into chunks.
• Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large, heavy frying pan over a medium-high heat. Throw in the kidney and fry until lightly coloured. Tip into a colander to drain.
• Wipe out the frying pan and return it to a low-medium heat, adding 25g/1oz of the butter and 1 tbsp oil. Tip in the onion and fry for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and slightly golden. Transfer to a large casserole, using a slotted spoon.
• Preheat the oven to 160C/gas 3/fan 140C. Tip the 85g/3oz flour into a large plastic bag, and season it generously. Throw in the beef and shake until lightly floured.Return the frying pan to a mediumhigh heat, adding a little more oil and butter if needed. Shake off any excess flour (reserving it) then fry the beef in batches until golden-brown. As each batch is done, transfer it to the casserole.
• Adding more oil and butter to the frying pan if necessary, fry the mushrooms for about 2 minutes until starting to wilt, then add them to the casserole with the drained kidneys, hot water, bouillon powder and bay leaf, plus the excess flour in the bag if you like a thick gravy. Stir well, cover and cook in the oven for 75-90 minutes until the meat is tender and the sauce is thick. Cool thoroughly, then put in the fridge (preferably overnight) so any fat will solidify - it can then be skimmed off and discarded.
• In the morning - return the pastry to cool room temperature, then roll it out thinly on a wellfloured surface. Invert a 28-30x23cm, 6.5cm deep pie dish on to the pastry. Mentally add an extra 1cm all round, then use the dish as a guide to cut out the pastry lid. From the remnants, cut out enough 6cm-wide strips of pastry to go round the dish - they should cover the flat rim and about halfway down the insides.
• Lightly butter the rim of the dish and line it with the strip(s) of pastry, sealing any joins with a little dab of water. Butter the shoulders of a pie raiser or an upturned egg cup and stand it in the middle. Spoon in the meat mixture to come level with the top of the dish. Don't overfill: reserve any excess gravy to serve hot with the pie.
• Brush the pastry rim with a little water, then drape the pastry lid over it, pinching the edges to seal. Cover with cling film and keep in the fridge if not baking immediately.
• Finally, an hour before serving - preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C. Make four slashes in the lid of the pie, then brush with the egg wash. Bake for 35-45 minutes until the pastry is golden brown, turning the heat down 10-20° after about 20 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and leave it to rest for around 10 minutes before cutting into it.

STEAK AND KIDNEY PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7
• Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan, and brown the beef all over. (You may need to do this in batches.) Set aside, then brown the kidneys on both sides in the same pan. Add the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes.
• Return the beef to the pan, sprinkle flour over and coat the meat and onions
• Add the stock to the pan, stir well and bring to the boil.
• Turn the heat down and simmer for 1½ hours without a lid. If the liquid evaporates too much, add more stock.
• Remove from the heat. Add salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce and allow to cool completely. Place the cooked meat mixture into a pie dish.
• Roll out the pastry to 5mm/¼in thick and 5cm/2in larger than the dish you are using.
• Using a rolling pin, lift the pastry and place it over the top of the pie dish. Trim and crimp the edges with your fingers and thumb.
• Brush the surface with the beaten egg mixture and bake for 30-40 minutes until golden-brown and puffed.
• Serve with creamy mash and steamed vegetables to soak up the gravy.

MUM'S STEAK AND KIDNEY PLATE PIE

Steps:

• Begin by trimming the steak and cutting it into 1 inch (2.5 cm) cubes. Then trim the ox kidney and chop it minutely small. Keep the meat trimmings to make extra gravy to serve with the pie. Now, heat the dripping in the casserole. Dry the meat with kitchen paper and, when the fat is really hot, add a few cubes at a time to brown on all sides, removing them to a plate as they brown. After that, add all the pieces of kidney and after browning these remove them to join the steak. Now, keeping the heat high, fry the chopped onion for 6-7 minutes or until it's nicely browned at the edges. Then return all the meat to the casserole and stir in the flour to soak up all the juices. Next, add the thyme, followed by the Worcestershire sauce. Add a good seasoning of salt and pepper and then gradually stir in the stock and bring the whole lot to simmering point. Now put a lid on the casserole and place on the centre shelf of the oven for 2 hours. When the meat is cooked taste to check the seasoning and leave it to get cold. While the meat cooks you can get ahead and make the stock for the extra gravy. Simply place the meat trimmings in a medium-sized saucepan with half the onion, cover with 1 pint (570 ml) water, add some seasoning and simmer, covered, for approximately 1 hour. Then strain the stock and rinse the pan. To make the pastry, first of all sift the flour with the salt, holding the sieve up high to give it a good airing. Then add the butter and the lard and, using only your fingertips, lightly and gently rub the fat into the flour. When the mixture is crumbly, sprinkle in a tablespoon of cold water. Start to mix the pastry with a knife and finish with your hands, adding a few more drops of water if necessary for a smooth dough. Put the pastry in a polythene bag and place in the refrigerator to rest. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6, 400°F (200°C) and place a baking sheet on a high shelf to pre-heat as well. To make the pie, first cut the pastry in half and, on a lightly floured surface, thinly roll out one half into a circle approximately 11 in (28 cm) in diameter. Now transfer the circle, first rolling it over the pin and then over the base of the tin, and press it lightly and firmly around the base, sides and rim. Now take a sharp knife and trim the overlapping pastry and, after that, spoon in the filling. Now roll the remaining pastry out in the same way. Brush the rim of the base pastry with a little of the beaten egg and milk glaze and fit the other pastry circle on the top to form a lid. Press the edges firmly together, then trim off the excess and flute the edges. Finally, if you want to decorate the pie, gather up the trimmings and re-roll them to cut out leaf shapes. Either way, make a small hole in the centre the size of a 5p piece (to allow the steam to escape). Then brush the surface all over with the beaten egg and milk glaze. Now place the pie on the baking tray and bake for 10 minutes. After that, reduce the temperature to gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C) and cook for a further 40-45 minutes, or until it is piping hot and has turned a deep golden-brown. While the pie is cooking you can make the extra gravy by frying the remaining half onion, chopped small, in the beef dripping until soft and blackened at the edges. Next, stir in the flour and gradually add the stock little by little to make a smooth gravy, adding a spot of gravy browning if it's needed. Taste to check the seasoning and add a few drops of Worcestershire sauce. Let the pie relax for about 10 minutes before serving. I like new potatoes and chopped spring greens or purple sprouting broccoli to go with it.

MUM'S STEAK AND KIDNEY PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 190c/fan 170c/gas 5. Put onion, steak and kidneys into a large casserole dish. Pour over boiling water until meat is completely covered (this will seal the meat). Crumble the stock cubes into the dish and stir well. Place in the pre-heated oven for 2 hours.
• 20 minutes before the end of the two hours, remove the dish from the oven and sprinkle the gravy granules into the mixture, until the mixture is thickened to your liking. Stir, then return to oven for the final 20 minutes.
• While the meat is finishing, cut the block of pastry in half. Take the first half, and roll out on a floured surface to about 5mm (this can be adapted to your liking, but make sure there is enough to line your pie dish with some excess). Using a 9-inch pie dish, line the bottom with the pastry, making sure there are no gaps between the tin and pastry, and the pastry is pressed firmly against the sides of the tin. Take the second half of the pastry, and roll out on your floured surface, to roughly the same thickness, ensuring it will cover the top of the pie with some excess.
• Remove the meat from the oven, and use a slotted spoon to transfer all the meat to the pie. Add leftover gravy, you can use however much you like but be careful not to use too much as it will boil. Dampen the crust of the pastry with milk or water, then place the lid on top, pressing firmly all round the edges to seal. Trim off the excess pastry, using a sharp knife or kitchen scissors. if you like, you can take a fork, and, using the back, make a pattern round the edge of the pie- as well as being decorative, this will help seal it.
• Place the pie in the still-hot oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. If you like, you can strain any remaining gravy and serve it with the pie.

STEAK AND KIDNEY PIE

Steps:

• Prepare the pastry: In a large bowl, combine flour with butter and salt. Mix lightly with your fingertips until butter forms peasized pieces. Whisk together egg and 1 tablespoon of the water. Add to flour mixture all at once, mixing gently with your fingertips. You should be able to see chunks of fat, and the pastry should be moist enough to begin to stick together. If the pastry is too dry, add up to 2 more tablespoons of water.
• Turn the pastry out onto a lightly floured work surface, dust with flour, and knead it until the pastry is smooth, about 3 to 4 times. Transfer to a plastic bag and form pastry into a disk. Refrigerate a minimum of 30 minutes, or as long as 3 days.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a casserole or Dutch oven. Add the steak and kidneys, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until just browned, about 3 minutes. Remove to a plate and reserve. Add 1 more tablespoon of oil to casserole, and add mushroom quarters. Cook over high heat, stirring, until light brown. Reserve on plate with meat. Add the remaining oil to the casserole, and add onions. Cook until well browned, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir so that the juices soak up the flour. Cook, stirring constantly, about 1 to 2 minutes.
• Stir the Worcestershire sauce into the hot water, and pour over the hot onion mixture while whisking. Add the reserved meats and mushrooms, and any juices that have collected, and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and simmer 3 to 4 minutes or until slightly thickened.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out the pastry to a thickness of 1/4inch. Fill a 9inch pie dish with the steak and kidney mixture. Dampen the edges of the dish with water, then fit the pastry on top, pressing it down well all around the edge to seal. Make a steam hole in the center, brush the top with milk and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Bake for 25 minutes, or until pastry is golden.

BEEF, KIDNEY AND MUSHROOM PIE WITH A HOMEMADE PUFF PASTRY LID

Steps:

• For the puff pastry, put the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add 200ml/7fl oz water. Mix to combine and then tip out onto a floured work surface. Briefly knead to form a rough, but evenly combined, dough. Put the pastry in the fridge to rest for 1-2 hours.
• Meanwhile, make the pie filling. Heat a lidded casserole or a large ovenproof pan over a high heat and add the oil. Once hot, fry the steak for 3-4 minutes, or until golden-brown on all sides (you may need to do this in batches). Add the kidneys and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer the meat to a warm plate and set aside.
• Add the onion, mushrooms, whole shallots and carrots to the empty casserole and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until just softened. Add the thyme, bay leaves and tomato purée and stir well to combine.
• Add the ale and stir well, scraping any sediment up from the bottom of the casserole using a wooden spoon. Return the meat to the casserole, add the hot stock, stir well and bring the mixture to the boil. Turn down the heat, place a lid on the casserole and cook for 1½ hours, or until the beef is tender and the gravy has thickened. Once cooked, remove the pie filling from the dish and set aside to cool.
• Remove the puff pastry from the fridge and place on a lightly floured work surface. Roll the pastry out into a rectangle approximately 50x30cm/20x12in. Slice the butter and lay this over two-thirds of the dough. Fold the unbuttered dough third over the buttered one, then flip that over the remaining buttered third so that the butter is wrapped inside the dough. Take a rolling pin and lightly roll the upper surface of the dough to press out any air bubbles. Seal the edges with a sharp whack of the rolling pin.
• Turn the pastry by 90 degrees (a quarter turn) and fold the bottom third of the pastry up, then the top third down. Roll the pastry out towards the folded edges until it measures roughly 60x25cm/23x10in, then fold the pastry in by thirds again. Give the pastry a further two turns. Wrap the pastry in cling film and transfer to the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
• To cook the pie, preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7.
• Put the beef and gravy mixture in a 23cm/9in diameter round ovenproof dish. Roll out the pastry to 1cm/⅓in thickness and cut the pastry into a circle slightly bigger than the pie dish. Brush a little water around the rim of the pie dish, then place the pastry over the filling and press the edges to seal the pastry to the dish. Brush the pie with a little beaten egg, put the pie in the oven and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until the pastry is pale golden-brown and has risen.
• Meanwhile, for the mashed potatoes boil the potatoes in salted water for 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain and put the potatoes back in the saucepan over the heat to remove excess moisture. Mash the potatoes. Heat the butter and cream in a saucepan until the butter is melted. Add to the mash and beat well until soft and creamy. Season with salt and pepper.
• Boil the peas for 2-3 minutes and then drain.
• To serve, put a spoonful of the pie on each plate with the mash and peas alongside.

STEAK AND KIDNEY PIE

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a heavy-based saucepan and fry the onion over a medium heat until soft and just beginning to colour.
• Remove from the pan and set to one side.
• Add the salt and pepper to the flour and mix around to completely combine
• Place the steak in the flour and make sure all the meat is well coated in flour.
• Add the rest of the oil to the pan.
• Remove any excess flour from the meat by tapping two pieces together and place in the pan of hot oil to brown off on all sides, you may have to do this step in batches
• Remove the meat and set to one side.
• Toss the prepared kidneys in the same pan until browned off then remove these and set to one side
• Now you can brown off the mushrooms and return the steak, kidney and onion to the pan.
• Stir in any flout that is left from covering the meat and let it cook out for a minute or two keeping the mix agitated so as not to catch on the bottom of the pan.
• Gradually pour in the stock and add a few drops of Worcestershire sauce and the bay leaf.
• Stir well and bring up to a simmer.
• Cover and cook on a low heat for 1½ to 2 hours until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened.
• You can check the seasoning here and add more if needed and remove the bay leaf
• Transfer the filling to your pie dish and leave to cool completely.
• While the meat is cooling make up the pastry

STEAK AND KIDNEY PIE

Steps:

• In a pan heat the oil and brown the beef for 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a large ovenproof pie dish. Add kidney, onion and mushrooms, cut into pieces. Mix together stock, tomato pure and gravy granules and pour over the meat and vegetables. Cool slightly then spoon into the base of the pie dish.Preheat the oven to 180-190C, 160-170C Fan,Gas Mark 4-5.Roll out the pastry large enough to cover the pie dish. Dampen the edges of the dish with a little water and place pastry on top of the meat mixture, trim off any excess pastry and lightly press the edge to seal. Brush with the egg and place into a preheated oven for 2 hours. To prevent burning, once the pastry is risen and golden brown, cover with foil.Mix together the other half of your gravy granules and stock on a low heat until the granules are dissolved.Serve with mashed potato, peas and additional gravy.

STEAK AND KIDNEY PIE

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl or plate mix the flour with a good pinch of salt and pepper.
• Roll the steak pieces in the seasoned flour to coat evenly, transferring the pieces to another plate as you go.
• Melt half the butter in a large, heavy-based casserole with a drizzle of olive oil (which will help prevent the butter from burning too quickly).
• Fry half the steak pieces over medium-to-high heat until browned all over.
• Remove onto a plate and continue with the remaining meat, adding more oil and butter as necessary, until you've browned all the steak.
• Now, with the browned steak set aside, add a little more oil to the casserole and fry the onion until softened and a nice light golden colour.
• Add the tomato puree and stir for a couple more minutes then stir in the mustard.
• Now pour in the ale and stir for just a minute or so and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze then add about 250ml of the stock; keep the rest aside in case you need it later.
• Put the browned meat back into the pan and add the bay leaf, thyme and Worcestershire sauce.
• Cover the pan with a lid and simmer on the stovetop for about 2 and a half to 3 hours by which time the beef will be lovely and tender. Be sure to check now and add the rest of the stock if you think it needs it.
• *If you're using OX kidney rather than lambs, then you might want to add them in 10 minutes or so before the end of cooking as they take longer to cook than lambs kidneys.
• Check it every now and then and giving it all a good stir.
• Just as it seems nicely done, stir in the mushrooms and kidney and turn off the heat.
• Transfer the mixture to a pie dish. If you do have gravy left then keep it and heat it up to pour over when you're ready to serve.
• Brush the lip of the pie dish with a little of the beaten egg.
• Roll the pastry to about 0.5mm thickness and about 4cm larger all round than the dish.
• Place it over the top of the pie dish and scrunching and tucking it around the edge of the dish - nothing fancy needed (I can't do fancy) and it'll taste the same however you make it look around the edge!
• Just make sure you press down the edge to seal. Using the pastry trimmings, you can make leaves if you want to.
• Make a small hole in the centre of the pie to let the steam escape as it cooks. Insert a few sprigs of thyme in the hole and pop on your pastry leaves.
• Brush the pastry with the beaten egg then bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
• Serve with some nice mash and peas or whatever else you fancy.

THE ULTIMATE STEAK AND KIDNEY PIE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Add the steak, kidney, flour, salt, and pepper to a large bowl. Toss until well coated.
• In a large Dutch oven or other heavy-duty pot, heat the 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon oil on medium-high heat.
• When the butter melts, add the meat to the pan, in batches if necessary. Cook until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes per batch. Refresh the butter and oil in the pan between batches as needed. Remove the meat to a plate as it becomes done. Set aside.
• If the pan is dry, refresh with 1 tablespoon oil. Add the onions and carrots. Cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
• Return the meat to the pan with any accumulated juices from the plate. Add the stock and stir to combine.
• Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove the cover and continue to cook to thicken the sauce, stirring frequently, 30 minutes more.
• Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat, place into a 6-cup deep pie dish, and let cool completely.
• Gather the ingredients.
• Put the flour, salt, and butter in a large bowl.
• Rub the butter into the flour with your fingers until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, working as quickly as possible to prevent the dough from becoming warm.
• Add 2 tablespoons of water to the mixture. Using a cold knife, stir until the dough binds together. Add more water, a teaspoon at a time if the dough is too dry.
• Form the dough into a disk, wrap, and chill for about 30 minutes.
• Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 400 F. Roll out the pastry to 1/8-inch thick and wide enough to cover the pie dish.
• Cut a tiny hole in the center to slip over a steam funnel if using. Alternatively, cut 3 to 4 (1-inch) slits in the center of the dough to vent the filling while baking.
• Brush the rim of the pie dish with water and place a pie funnel in the center of the filling, if using.
• Place the pastry over the dish and funnel (if using), pressing it down, trimming to fit the rim of the dish.
• Crimp the edges of the dough using your thumb and first finger.
• Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the top of the pie with the egg wash.
• Bake until the pastry is crisp and golden, about 40 minutes.
• Serve immediately.