• Cooking Time: 2hr
• Servings: 7
• Preparation Time: 60
• 1/4 c. Olive oil
• 3 medium red onions, peeled and chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 2 tbsps. butter, plus more for greasing
• 2 carrots peeled and chopped
• 2 parsnips peeled and chopped
• 2 Yukon Gold potato's peeled and chopped
• 2 turnips peeled and chopped
• 2 sticks celery - trimmed and chopped
• 4 field mushrooms (portabella) sliced
• 3 lbs. beef brisket or stewing beef, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
• A few sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves picked and chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1-pint can Guinness - not lager
• 2 heaping tbsps. flour
• 7 oz of shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 lb. store bought puff pastry
• 1 egg, beaten with a fork

1. Preheat the oven to 375f.
2. In a large ovenproof pan, heat a olive oil on low heat.
3. Add the onions and fry gently for about 10 minutes - try not to color them too much.
4. Turn the heat up, add the garlic, butter, carrots and celery and scatter in the mushrooms.
5. Mix everything together before stirring in the beef, rosemary, a pinch of salt and a level teaspoon of pepper.
6. Fry for 3 or 4 minutes, then pour in the Guinness, stir in the flour and add just enough water to cover.
7. Bring to a simmer, cover the pan with a lid and place in the preheated oven for about 1 1/2 hour.
8. Remove the pan from the oven and give the stew a stir.
9. Put it back into the oven and continue to cook it for another hour or until the meat is very tender and the stew is rich, dark and thick.
10. A perfect pie filling needs to be robust, so if it's still quite liquidly, place the pan on the burner and reduce until the sauce thickens.
11. Remove from the heat and stir in half the cheese, then season carefully and leave to cool slightly.
12. Cut about a third of the pastry off the block.
13. Dust a clean work surface with flour and roll both pieces of pastry out evenly with a floured rolling pin to the thickness of a silver dollar.
14. Butter an appropriately sized pie dish, then line with the larger sheet, leaving the edges dangling over the side.
15. Tip the stew into your lined dish and even it out before sprinkling over the remaining cheese.
16. Brush the edges of the pastry with a little beaten egg.
17. Cut the other rolled sheet of pastry to fit the top of the pie dish and crisscross it lightly with a sharp knife.
18. Place it over the top of the pie and fold the overhanging pastry onto the pastry lid to make it look nice and rustic.
19. Brush the top with beaten egg, and then bake the pie directly on the bottom of the oven for 45 minutes, until the pastry is cooked, puffed and golden.

While on holiday with my son in Australia he taught me some of his recipes. So my daughter not to out done gave me a few of hers enjoy David. Submitted by: "slowhanddave"