Chefs' Recipes

Sean Moran's beef brisket and mushroom pot pies

It's hard to go wrong with the combination of fall-apart beef, soft mushrooms and a crisp pastry top.

By Sean Moran
  • 30 mins preparation
  • 3 hrs 40 mins cooking
  • Serves 6
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Beef brisket, slow-braised until it's fall-apart tender; portobello mushrooms, sautéed until golden; a crisp pastry top. No doubt about it, these pot pies are hard to beat.

Ingredients

  • 250 gm butter
  • 600 gm (about 12 large) portobello mushrooms, coarsely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 150 gm (1 cup) plain flour
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 cups (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
  • 560 gm (2 rolls) butter puff pastry (see note)
  • 1 egg yolk, whisked with 2 tbsp pouring cream, for eggwash
Braised beef
  • 100 ml olive oil
  • 1 kg piece of point-end beef brisket, trimmed (see note)
  • 3 carrots, thinly sliced
  • 2 onions, coarsely chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
  • 750 ml (3 cups) beef stock
  • 250 ml dry red wine
  • 100 ml red wine vinegar
  • 8 thyme sprigs
  • 2 fresh bay leaves
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed

Method

Main
  • 1
    For braised beef, preheat oven to 150C. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a casserole. Season brisket and brown in pan, turning occasionally, until golden (4-6 minutes). Remove and set aside. Reduce heat to medium-low, add vegetables and stir occasionally until caramelised (15-20 minutes). Add stock, wine, vinegar, herbs and garlic and return brisket to pan. Cover with baking paper, tucking edges into the liquid to secure, and cook in the oven until beef is tender (2-2½ hours). Remove brisket from liquid. When cool enough to handle, cut into 2cm-3cm pieces. Strain liquid (discard solids) and set aside.
  • 2
    Increase oven to 180C. Wipe casserole clean, add half the butter and melt over medium heat. Add mushrooms, season to taste and sauté until golden (5-7 minutes). Add garlic and remaining butter and, when melted, add flour and stir until nut-brown (5-7 minutes). Add mustard, then slowly add reserved cooking liquid, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and add brisket and parsley.
  • 3
    Divide mixture into six 350ml pie dishes. Roll pastry to 3mm thick and cut 6 rounds to cover dishes. Place on top, pinch edges, brush with eggwash and pierce tops to allow steam to escape. Bake pies until deep golden (25-30 minutes). Serve hot.