Ireland: Sailor's Beef Pie with Soda Bread Crust

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MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05
 
      Title: "Sailors'" Beef Pie with Soda Bread Crust
 Categories: Irish2, Meats
      Yield: 4 Servings
 
      2 lb Lean stewing beef, cut into
           -generous chunks
      2 tb Flour, seasoned to taste
           -with salt and pepper
      3 tb Vegetable oil
      1    Large onion
      1    Clove garlic, crushed
      8 oz Turnip (or swede)
      8 oz Carrots
     12 fl Stout
      1    Bunch fresh thyme, finely
           -chopped

MMMMM----------------------SODA BREAD CRUST---------------------------
      8 oz Plain flour / all purpose
           -flour
    1/2 ts Salt
    1/2 ts Bicarbonate of soda / bread
           -soda
      6 fl Buttermilk
 
  Trim the meat of excess fat and toss it in the seasoned flour until
  lightly coated.
  
  Heat the oil in a wide pan, and throw in the meat and move around
  until well browned.  Remove the meat with a perforated spoon and
  place in a casserole (for this recipe a round casserole is preferred,
  as the finished dish with a round cake of soda bread crust on top
  looks much more effective.
  
  Prepare and chop the vegetables.  Add the onions and garlic to the
  pan and cook for a few minutes until soft and translucent.  Remove
  and transfer to the casserole.  Cover the bottom of the pan with 3-4
  TB of stout, bring to the boil, stirring all the time.  Then pour
  over the casserole contents, add the remaining vegetables, thyme and
  stout and mix well.  Cook in a hot oven for 1 1/2 - 2 hours.  While
  it is cooking, make the soda bread crust.
  
  For the crust:  Sieve all the dry ingredients into a bowl, mixing
  well. Make a well in the center and pour in most of the buttermilk.
  Then, working around the bowl, draw the flour into the buttermilk,
  continuing in this circular fashion until all has been absorbed.
  When the dough comes together it should feel sticky but pliable.  If
  you feel the dough needs a little more moisture, add the remaining
  buttermilk.  Turn onto a floured board, kneading lightly, giving just
  one or two turns to fix into shape.
  
  With the palm your hand pat the dough out into a circular cake (about
  1/2 inch thick) to the circumference of the casserole.  With a cake
  of such thinness it will cook well and not remain stodgy on the under
  surface. Remove the casserole from the oven and lift the soda bread
  carefully on top of the stew, making sure that it covers the surface
  of the simmering meat.  Score the surface deeply into four.  Dust the
  surface with a light coat of flour and replace the casserole lid.
  Turn up the oven to 200C / 400F and bake for 30-40 minutes.
  
  When cooked, cut through the four quarters of soda bread crust and
  slip a serving spoon under each quarter, spooning each and a quantity
  of meat onto one side of a plate.  Surround with more meat and
  vegetables and spoon the gravy around.  On frosty days, serve with a
  pint of stout.
  
 
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Technorati Tags: Ireland Irish sailor beef pie soda bread crust flour onion garlic turnip swede carrot thyme casserole