Steak pie

Main course: serves 4-6. Total time: 2 hours

2 tablespoons beef dripping, or oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
500g/1lb rump steak
250g/8oz ox kidney or beef sausages
1 tablespoon plain flour, seasoned
Water or stock
half teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon each parsley and marjoram, chopped
Bay leaf
250g/8oz medium-sized mushrooms
1 litre/2 pint pie-dish
200g/6oz puff pastry
1 beaten egg

Heat oil and brown onions until dark. Brown the sausages. Skin, split, core and cut up the kidney. Using a rolling-pin beat the steak until thin. Cut into long strips. Coat the meat with the flour. Cut sausage in half. Roll meat round either sausages or kidney.

Put into base of pie-dish, end on. Cover with onions. Pile whole mushrooms on top, so that they come up high above the rim to hold up the pastry. Pour over enough water to come three-quarters of the way up the filling.

Pre-heat oven to 230C/450F/Gas 8. Roll out pastry about an inch larger than pie, cut round pie to fit. Wet rim of pie-dish. Cut a thin strip from leftover pastry and place round rim, wet edge, and place on pastry lid. Seal down well. Brush top with egg. Make two steam holes. Bake for about 30 minutes until pastry is risen and browned. Reduce heat to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and bake for an hour until the meat is cooked. Fill pie with hot water or stock before serving.