Guinness Pie with Colcannon, Thyme Roasted Carrots and Tenderstem Broccoli

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion diced
• 3 cloves garlic crushed
• 250g chestnut mushrooms halved
• 1 medium carrot diced
• 1 stick celery diced
• 50g pearl barley rinsed
• 60g Puy lentils rinsed
• 2 x 400ml can Guinness or vegetarian stout
• 100ml vegetable stock
• dried 10ml porcini mushrooms chopped
• 1 ½ tsp vegetarian gravy granules
• Salt and pepper to taste

To assemble the pie

• 500g shortcrust pastry
• 50g plain flour for rolling out
• 1 free-range egg beaten, for brushing

For the colcannon

• 500g potatoes peeled and diced
• 50g salted butter
• 2 tbsp semi-skimmed milk
• ¼ savoy cabbage sliced
• Salt and pepper to taste

for the thyme roasted carrots

• 300g carrots peeled and cut into batons
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 big sprigs fresh thyme

For the Tenderstem broccoli

• 250g Tenderstem broccoli
• A pinch of salt

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/gas mark 3.
2. To make the pies: In a frying pan, heat the oil and sauté the onion over a medium heat until starting to turn golden. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, carrot and celery. Cook for another 5 minutes.
3. Add the pearl barley and lentils to the pan with the Guinness, vegetable stock and porcini mushrooms. Bring to a simmer and allow to cook gently until the pearl barley has softened.
4. Mix in the gravy granules and bring to the boil for a few minutes. Check the consistency of the sauce is not too watery and season to taste. At this point, drain off some of the gravy and set aside to use for a gravy at the end.
5. Roll out the pastry to ½cm thickness. Use a 9 x 6 cm pie ring to cut out four bases and four lids. Roll the base out slightly larger as this must line the insides of the ring. With the spare pieces of pastry make decorations to go on top of the pie lid, such as shamrocks.
6. Grease 4 separate 9 x 6cm pie rings with butter.
7. Place the base inside the pie ring, line with oven-proof clingfilm or non-stick baking parchment. Fill with baking beans and bake blind in the oven for 30 minutes.
8. Remove the baking beans and clingfilm. Carefully fill the pie with the filling mixture and attach the lid on top. Egg wash the lid and bake for 40 minutes or until the pastry is cooked through and golden. While the pies are cooking, start on the side vegetables.
9. To make the colcannon: In a pan of cold water, add the potatoes and then bring to the boil. Turn down to a simmer until just cooked.
10. Using a colander, strain off the potatoes and return to the pan. Mash them thoroughly for 5 minutes. Add the butter and milk, then continue to mash for another 5 minutes.
11. Cook the cabbage in boiling water for 4 minutes and strain off. Mix the cabbage into the mash and season to taste.
12. To make the thyme roasted carrots: Drizzle the carrots with oil, season with a little salt and pepper then sprinkle with thyme.
13. Transfer the carrots to a roasting tray and cook in the oven for 30 minutes, turning halfway through.
14. To cook the broccoli: Bring a medium sized pan of water to the boil and add a pinch of salt. Boil the broccoli 4-5 minutes. Drain off.
15. Serve the pies with the side dishes and pour over the gravy reserved in step 4.