Beef and Stilton Pie

For years I would watch British cooking shows and hear about beef and Stilton pies but the concept didn't resonate with me. Oh, the part about putting beef inside pastry sounded just fine because that's basically a pot pie. But I was stuck on the cheese. Sharp cheddar, sure, but Stilton seemed more like something I should serve with crackers and wine? I kept it in the back of my mind, though.

 

Fast forward to a day when I found myself with some leftover beef stew but not quite enough for a full portion. So I made some pastry and picked up a bit of Stilton from the market figuring I would put this idea to rest once and for all.

I didn't have an exact recipe but I know how to make a pot pie well enough. So I made the basic white sauce, then added in the bit of gravy I had from the stew and tossed in the Stilton to see what I had before adding the beef and committing myself. Holy YUM!!! No wonder this thing is a thing. Since that day, whenever I make a beef stew, I mentally allot one small portion for a Stilton pie but it's gotten to the point where I'll make the stew so I can make the pie. Full conversion has happened and I'm guessing it will for you, too, if you haven't tried it yet. Enjoy!

Yield: 4 Servings

Author: Anita Schecter

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Beef and Stilton Pie

Prep time: 25 MinCook time: 40 Mininactive time: 1 HourTotal time: 2 H & 4 M

Recipe for a pot pie made with beef and Stilton cheese.

Ingredients

For the Pastry:

• 1 1/4 Cups all purpose flour
• 1 Stick unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1" pieces
• 1/2 Teaspoon salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon baking powder
• 2 Tablespoons ice water

For the Sauce:

• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 Cup milk
• 1 Cup beef gravy from the stew
• 4 oz. Stilton cheese, crumbled
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. To make the pastry, add the flour, butter, salt and baking powder to a food processor. Pulse a few times just until the mixture resembles course crumbs. With the machine running, slowly add the ice water and continue mixing until a dough ball forms. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour.
2. To make the sauce, melt the butter in a large skillet and whisk in the flour until thoroughly coated. On medium low heat, slowly whisk in the milk followed by the gravy. Continue stirring for a few minutes for the mixture to thicken. Stir in the cheese and add the beef and any vegetables from the stew. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Note that you can use your favorite beef stew recipe or, my go-to one is below.
3. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
4. Roll the dough out on a floured surface to about 1/4" thickness and cut out rounds about 1" larger than your baking dishes. This amount of dough will make 4 individual small pies or 2 larger ones with two servings each. Place one round of pastry in the bottom of each baking dish, fill with equal amounts of the sauce and beef mixture, top with another round of the dough and bake for 30 - 40 minutes until the pastry is a light golden brown.

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