Highland beef with pickled walnuts & puff pastry tops

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1. Up to three days before, make the pastry puffs. Preheat the oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/ gas 6. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry a little thinner and stamp out sixteen 6cm rounds. Put the rounds on a baking sheet and brush with the egg. Sprinkle with salt and bake in the oven for 5-7 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Cool on a wire rack, then store in an airtight container until ready to serve.
2. Make the stew. Put the beef, garlic and bay leaf in a large non-metallic bowl and pour in the stout. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least an hour, preferably overnight.
3. Preheat the oven to fan 130C/ conventional 150C/gas 2. Drain the meat and pat dry on kitchen paper. Set aside the marinade liquid.
4. Heat both half the butter and oil in a large lidded ovenproof casserole. Over a high heat, brown the beef in batches until each piece is sealed and dark brown. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon as you go. Set aside.
5. Wipe the dish with kitchen paper, melt the remaining butter and oil and fry the bacon and onions for 10-15 minutes until the onions are golden brown, very soft and well reduced.
6. Stir in the flour until blended, add the port and reserved marinade and return the beef to the dish. Bring to the boil, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook in the oven for 2½ -3 hours or until the meat is very tender (no need to season). Cool, put in a large sealed container and store in the fridge, or freeze for up to 1 month.
7. To serve, return to the casserole and bring slowly to the boil (if frozen, defrost and continue as above). Add pickled walnuts and reserved pickling vinegar and simmer for 30 minutes until hot. Stir through the parsley. Re-heat the pastries at fan 180C/ conventional 200C/gas 6 for 3-4 minutes. To serve, ladle into bowls, top with a couple of pastry puffs and sprinkle with a little chopped parsley.

900 kcalories, protein 51g, carbohydrate 37g, fat 54 g, saturated fat 17g, fibre 2g, salt 1.51 g

'The combination of beef and walnuts was great and I had never used pickled walnuts before and enjoyed the effect.'

Latest comments and suggestions

• Emily Edinburgh

  15 November 2007

  Emily Edinburgh rated and commented on this recipe

  

  Made this dish for a lunch party and it gots lots of positive feedback about it. Make sure you are organised and prepare your marinade and pastry puffs a couple days beforehand. A very easy dish to make and only need to put it in the oven on the day of serving so frees you up to enjoy yourself!

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• gail

  24 November 2007

  gail rated and commented on this recipe

  

  Made a great dish for a winter dinner party with mustard mash and fine green beans. My dinner guests felt loved with this delicious casserole. Hugged but on the inside!

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• josie70

  30 November 2007

  josie70 commented on this recipe

  Hi, l live in ltaly and l would like to make this dish but where can l find pickled walnuts? Thanks Josie

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• steve147

  05 December 2007

  steve147 commented on this recipe

  Excellent ! did this over the weekend, it was well recieved

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• ermintrude

  31 December 2007

  ermintrude rated this recipe

  

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• yam

  19 January 2008

  yam rated and commented on this recipe

  

  We get together with a group of friends to have dinner parties and make one course each. Made this for a Burns' Supper in 2004 and have just rediscovered it in time for ///25th Jan 2008. It was fantastic the first time so fingers crossed......

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• nicnic

  26 January 2008

  nicnic rated and commented on this recipe

  

  we all loved this one!!!! made this for burns night for my partners birthday meal. didnt put in the oven though, put it in the slow cooker for 8 hours, wow....how lovely!!!! the boys were spooning the gravy out of the slow cooker.....

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• Ali's Binder

  28 February 2008

  Ali's Binder rated and commented on this recipe

  

  We had 12 guests round for Burns Supper, and this went down a treat, I could have made double and it would have gone - aong with the Whiskey! Thanks

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• SASibbit

  01 March 2008

  SASibbit commented on this recipe

  I haven't made this recipe yet, but would like to. Unfortunately, I live in Portugal and feel that pickled walnuts and stout might be a little difficult to get hold of. Also, the recipe does not say how much beef to use.

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• Essgeebee

  12 March 2008

  Essgeebee rated and commented on this recipe

  

  Very tasty and rich. Went down a treat on Burn's Night.

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• Melanie

  16 May 2008

  Melanie rated and commented on this recipe

  

  This has become my daughter's favourite meal (with the neeps and tatties!) She asks for it whenever we have a something to celebrate. Delicious flavour and so easy. I use beef stock in place of the port and it still comes out lovely and rich.

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• A Gordon

  19 January 2009

  A Gordon rated and commented on this recipe

  

  Made this at New Year for our party of 14.Not only did it taste fantastic,it could be prepared ahead which greatly reduced my stress level and allowed me plenty of time with our guests . Served it as suggested with baked haggis,braised leeks and tatties and neeps. Everyone had seconds so it really must have deserved all those positive comments.

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Ingredients

FOR THE PASTRY PUFFS

• 375g pack ready-rolled puff pastry
• 1 egg , beaten

FOR THE STEW

• 1½ kg stewing beef , cut into 5cm/2in pieces, excess fat removed
• 2 garlic cloves , peeled and crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 x 440ml cans of dark stout such as Scottish Oatmeal Stout or Guinness
• 85g butter
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 100g smoked streaky bacon , roughly chopped
• 3 large Spanish onions , finely chopped
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 350ml port
• 390g jar pickled walnuts , halved (reserve 2 tbsp pickling vinegar)
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh flatleaf parsley , plus extra to serve

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Difficulty and servings

Serves 8

Preparation and cooking times

Ingredients

FOR THE PASTRY PUFFS

• 375g pack ready-rolled puff pastry
• 1 egg , beaten

FOR THE STEW

• 1½ kg stewing beef , cut into 5cm/2in pieces, excess fat removed
• 2 garlic cloves , peeled and crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 x 440ml cans of dark stout such as Scottish Oatmeal Stout or Guinness
• 85g butter
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 100g smoked streaky bacon , roughly chopped
• 3 large Spanish onions , finely chopped
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 350ml port
• 390g jar pickled walnuts , halved (reserve 2 tbsp pickling vinegar)
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh flatleaf parsley , plus extra to serve

900 kcalories, protein 51g, carbohydrate 37g, fat 54 g, saturated fat 17g, fibre 2g, salt 1.51 g

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