Steak and kidney pie

10oz or 300g rump steak, cut into cubes
2 lambs kidneys
16 fl oz / 1 pint / 0.5 quart beef stock
1 small onion, sliced
salt and pepper
2 tbsp oil
1.5 tsp corn flour
2 tbsp water

For the crust, you can use two sheets or ready-made shortcrust pastry, or to make your own pastry, you will need:

400g plain white flour
150g butter, cut into 1cm cubes
85g margarine
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp iced water

(makes one 8-inch pie)

To make the pastry:

In a large bowl combine the flour, salt, butter and margarine by working together with fingers, so a crumbly texture is formed. Add a little water to the mixture and work into a soft dough, adding small amounts of water if required, until the dough comes away cleanly from the bowl. Put the dough in the refrigerator for an hour.

To make the filling:

Wash and dry and kidneys. Remove the hard center section and discard. Cut into cubes.

In a lidded pan, heat the oil over medium heat and fry the onion for about 5 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add the steak and kidney pieces and fry for about 5 minutes until brown on the outside. Add the beef stock and simmer for about 30 minutes. Mix the corn flour in the cold water and add to the pan to thicken the sauce. Stir well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cool a little.

Lightly grease an 8-inch baking tin. If you have made your own pastry, divide the dough into two halves. Roll out one half into a circle large enough to cover the bottom and sides of the tin. Press down gently to remove any trapped air. Pour the beef mixture into the pastry case, arranging the meat pieces so they are evenly spaced. Reserve any excess liquid to use as gravy later. Roll out the other half of the dough to form the lid. Place this on top of the pie and seal the edges by pressing down gently all round using your thumb or with the end of a fork. Trim off excess pastry with a knife.

Bake the pie in a preheated oven at 190°C (375°F) for around 45 minutes. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

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