Beef and Oyster Pie with Guinness Laverbread Gravy
Welsh-inspired beef stew enriched with Guinness, laverbread, and oysters, baked under golden puff pastry. Native oysters add briny depth to this hearty ale pie, while laverbread and Mor Ketchup create an umami-rich gravy. Optional oysters let you enjoy it as a traditional beef and ale pie. Perfect for special occasions.
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb beef stewing meat, dicedlamb1:1protein
shifts to lamb and ale pie, similar cooking time
- ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 ½ tbsp Welsh Sea Black Butter
- 8 oz mushrooms, trimmed
- 3 shallots, thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 ¼ cups Guinness or Trawlers Dreadother dark ale or stout1:1beverage
maintains depth and bitterness
- 1 ¼ cups beef stock
- 2 tablespoons laverbreadmiso paste0.5:1umamiadds soy
adds similar salty umami depth but more intense
- 2 tablespoons Mor Ketchuptomato ketchup1:1condiment
standard alternative though less regional character
- thyme, a sprinkle(optional)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon Captain Cats Mor Seasoningsalt and herbs mixto tasteseasoning
recreate with sea salt, dried thyme, and black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- sea salt, to taste
- black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
- 12 native or pacific oysters(optional)
- 1 lb puff pastryshortcrust pastryequal weightpastry
less dramatic rise but more buttery, traditional pie crust
Full guide → - 1 egg, small, beaten, for brushing
Instructions
- 1
Season diced beef and coat with flour, shaking off excess and reserving the flour.
- 2
Heat oil in a flameproof casserole and brown meat in two batches until well coloured on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
- 3
Add remaining oil, half the butter, and mushrooms to the pan and fry briefly. Set aside with the beef.
- 4
Add remaining oil and butter, shallots, and brown sugar to the pan and fry over medium heat for 20 minutes until shallots are nicely browned.
- 5
Stir in reserved flour, then gradually add Guinness and beef stock and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
- 6
Add laverbread, Mor Ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Captain Cats seasoning, and return beef and mushrooms to the pan with herbs. Season with salt and pepper.
- 7
Cover and simmer until meat is just tender, around 1 hour.
- 8
Lift meat, mushrooms, and shallots from gravy with a slotted spoon and place in a deep pie dish.
- 9
Bring gravy to the boil and reduce until thickened. Remove bay leaves and thyme. Check and adjust seasoning.
- 10
Pour gravy into pie dish, stir, and let cool.
- 11
Preheat oven to 400°F.
- 12
Shuck oysters and place into the pie dish with cooled filling.
- 13
Roll out pastry until 1.0" larger than the top of the pie dish.
- 14
Cut a thin strip from the edge, brush with beaten egg, and press onto the rim of the dish.
- 15
Brush seal with more egg and cut a small cross in the centre of the pastry.
- 16
Press edges together well to seal. Trim excess pastry and crimp edges between your fingers.
- 17
Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes to relax the pastry.
- 18
Brush the top with beaten egg and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until pastry is crisp and golden and filling is bubbling hot.
Tips
Brown beef in batches to ensure proper caramelization without overcrowding the pan.
Reserve flour from coating the beef to thicken the gravy naturally.
Reduce the gravy properly after simmering to intensify flavours and achieve the right consistency.
Cool the filling completely before adding oysters and topping with pastry to prevent them from cooking prematurely.
Chill the assembled pie for 20 minutes before baking to help the pastry rise evenly and become crisp.
Good to Know
Cover and refrigerate cooked pie filling for up to 3 days before assembling with pastry and baking. Unbaked assembled pie can be frozen for up to 1 month; bake from frozen, adding 10-15 minutes to baking time.
Prepare beef braising and gravy up to 2 days ahead. Cool and refrigerate. Assemble pie and chill pastry up to 4 hours before baking. Shuck oysters no more than 2 hours before assembly.
Serve hot directly from the oven when pastry is golden and filling is bubbling. Accompany with mashed potatoes, crusty bread, or seasonal greens to soak up the rich gravy.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip the initial browning of beef to avoid a pale, underseasoned gravy.
Do not rush the shallot cooking to avoid insufficient caramelization and loss of natural sweetness.
Do not skip cooling the filling before topping with pastry to avoid soggy or unevenly baked pastry.
Do not overcrowd the pan when browning beef to avoid steaming instead of browning.
Do not omit chilling the assembled pie to avoid pastry shrinkage and uneven baking.
Substitutions
maintains depth and bitterness
standard alternative though less regional character
lighter briny element, different texture
shifts to lamb and ale pie, similar cooking time
recreate with sea salt, dried thyme, and black pepper
less dramatic rise but more buttery, traditional pie crust
Full guide →