English Beef Pastry Pie

For the dough: sift the flour into a bowl and make a well in the middle. Dot pieces of the butter, salt, eggs and 2 tbsp water into the well. Knead quickly to a dough. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for approx. 2 hours.

Heat the oven to 200°C (180° fan) 400F, gas 6.

Season the beef with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the meat until brown all over. Add the thyme leaves.

Sprinkle the flour over the meat and pour on the ale. Bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper. Let cool. The sauce should be fairly thick. Mix in the mushrooms.

Roll out the pastry and cut out two circles. One should be large enough to cover the base of the pie dish. Line the pie dish with the larger circle and spoon on the meat and sauce. Cover with a pastry lid. Press the edges down firmly. The edges may be decorated.