Jammed full with flavour, and richly dark...

Ingredients - serves 4

600g diced stewing beef
30g butter
100g peeled, cooked chestnuts
25g dried porcini
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed & chopped
4 celery sticks, in chunks
300ml Guinness
bouquet garni of bay leaf/thyme & parsley
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp plain flour, salt, pepper
200g self raising flour
100g suet
1 beaten egg
parsley, thyme, salt & pepper

Method

Pre heat the oven to 170°C.
Soak the porcini in 150ml warm water for 30 minutes. Sweat the onion, celery and garlic in melted butter for 5 minutes until softened then toss the beef in seasoned flour and add to the casserole - increasing the heat to brown it all over. Add porcini and its soaking liquid as well as the Guinness and stir to incorporate before bringing to the boil. Scatter in the chestnuts and sugar and sit the tied bouquet garni in the middle of all, cover and cook in the low oven for 1 hr 30 minutes until cooked and fairly tender.

Place suet, self raising flour, finely chopped parsley and thyme in a bowl with seasoning. Add the beaten egg and sufficient cold water to be able to gently draw together into a dough (not wet) then roll out over floured cling film. Increase the oven temperature to 190°C. Lay herby suet crust over the casserole and bake for about 30 minutes until the crust is golden and the meat very tender. Serve