robojoel

Cumon Gabby, do something about this

Bloody Villa.

At least they're doing one thing right - making me drink more

With you all the way, I've just sent the wife out to get me some more Cider!

HESKEY!........oh

We are playing Ok since the goal though, a long way to go yet..

BBC by virtue of the fact ITV is trash

Hey at least we are going into the season with 2 right backs! WHo says he does not learn from his mistakes!

Wow, still 70% for him to stay! (i voted the same by the way) reading these boards you would imagine it would be the other way round.

Just gives creedence to the idea of the vocal minority, right or wrong....

I voted for Freddie, standout winner from that selection. Didnt see the 'other'

If it was up to me it I would give shouts out for Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa and Cedric Bixler (At the Drive in and The Mars Volta, probably the best gigs I have ever been to even though I am not keen on the albums, the performance made it.)

This in one for those who like it in pie form (including soggy bottom layer), rather than the pastry separate. Adapted from 2 recipes by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

A slight problem with the above version from robojoel is that you want the onions softened on a low heat but the meat browned on a high heat, so adding meat to already cooking onions will either not brown the meat or else overcook the onions. You may end up with meat that looks grey, not brown.

Best is to brown the floured meat first on a fairly high heat in a heavy frying pan, in small batches, tranferring to a large heavy saucepan as it is cooked. Some people brown some pancetta before the meat, also removing from the pan when cooked. If you're using whole baby onions, they can be browned after the meat. You want the meat cut in fairly large chunks.

Having done this, deglaze the pan with some of the ale, and add to the saucepan. The pan should be clean after this if you've deglazed it properly. Add a bit of oil to the frying pan and soften the sliced/chopped onions on a low heat, and when they're done add them to the saucepan. Add the ale/stock, salt and pepper, and also a couple of bay leaves, some sprigs of parsely and thyme tied up together with string (to make it easier to remove them later). Cook for an hour and a half on a very low heat - you want it quivering, not bubbling - with the lid on but slightly raised to let a bit of steam escape. You can add mushrooms towards the end.

If using frozen pastry, make sure it's properly defrosted. Puff pastry is best. Roll it out and cut two rectangles, the top one shaped to the size of the dish but slightly larger, the other for the base a bit bigger to allow for the sides of the dish. Grease the dish, lay out the bigger piece of pastry, add the cooked meat, brush the edges of the pie with beaten egg yolk, lay the other piece of pastry on top and crimp the edges so it sticks, and brush the rest of the egg yolk over the surface. Mak a small slit or x in a couple of places, to let steam escape, and cook at 190/mark 5 for 50-60 minutes.

Quantities: for a pie dish of 1.2 lites, maybe 1.5 kg meat, 750 ml ale/stock, 600gm pastry.

Yes, 100% correct, i forgot about cooking the onions seperately!

I struggled to find a good recipe for years but found that the best andost authentic results came simply:

Cover stewing steak in plain flour mixed with salt an pepper

Begin to fry a whole large Onion then add the steak till it is browner

Add EQUAL amounts of ale and beef stock (black sheep or guiness) around three quaters of a pint of each depending on how much meat you have

Add a tablespoon of worstershire sauce and a teaspoon of sugar

Cook on Lowest heat for about one and a half to two hours

Buy some frozen pastry of your choice (I use puff pastry) and cook seperately, cut into portions after cooking and serve on top of stew mixture

You can of course add carrots etc to the stew but that's optional

Cooking the pastry in a pie dish on top of the stew is also an option but can make it a bit soggy!

You got to love this, Chris Morris Taking the piss out of PORNDWARF David Sullivan, edited out of the original Brass eye series