Beef shin, stout and oyster pie with champ, cabbage and bacon and 'angels on horseback'

Preparation method

1. For the 'angels on horseback', season the beef fillet with the sea salt, sugar and thyme. Wrap tightly in cling film and refrigerate overnight.

2. Remove the cling film and pat the fillet dry. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan and sear the beef for 1-2 minutes on all sides, or until golden-brown all over but rare in the middle. Allow to rest for ten minutes, then cut into four thin slices lengthways. Tightly wrap each oyster in a slice of beef and set aside in the fridge until needed.

3. For the pie filling, cut the shin into two steaks. Trim off any excess sinew, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

4. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a pan and brown the shin steaks and marrowbone for 3-4 minutes on both sides, or until golden-brown all over. Add the shallots, thyme and sugar and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Add the stout and stock, then simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced by half.

5. Transfer the shin, marrowbone and sauce into a large deep tray, and cool to room temperature.

6. Place the shin, marrowbone and sauce into a vacuum pack bag, seal and poach in a water bath at 80C/175F for seven hours, or until tender.

7. Remove the meat and marrowbone from the vacuum pack bag, flake the shin meat into a bowl and set aside. Spoon out the marrow from the bone and chop. Set aside.

8. Strain the chicken stock into a clean pan and simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until reduced by half. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir in the flaked shin meat, chopped marrow and shucked oysters to the sauce and stir well to coat. Set aside.

9. For the pie cases, rub the flour, lard and salt together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, then mix in the cold water and bring together to form a dough. Leave to rest for 30 minutes.

   Technique: Rubbing in

10. Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3.

11. Roll the pastry dough out on a floured work surface as thinly as possible (approximately 2mm thick), then use the pastry to line four 8cm/3in dariole moulds or similarly-shaped pie cases. Rest again for 20 minutes.

12. Fill the lined moulds with baking beans and blind bake for 20 minutes, or until golden. Remove the beans and return to the oven to bake for a further 2-3 minutes, then brush with the beaten egg and bake for another 1-2 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and trim off any excess pastry.

    Technique: Lining a tart tin: trimming the pastry

13. Increase the oven temperature to 220C/425F/Gas 7.

14. For the pie lids, sift the flour and salt together in a mixing bowl. Add the butter, water and lemon juice into the flour. Mix lightly with a knife until a dough has formed. Press the dough lightly together, being careful not to overwork the dough. Rest for 30 minutes, then roll out as thinly as possible (approximately 2mm) on a floured work surface.

15. Cut the rolled out pastry into 9cm/3.5in rounds to top the pie cases. Leave to rest for 20 minutes.

16. Meanwhile, fill the pie cases with the pie filling, then top with the pie lid and brush with the beaten egg. Pierce the centre of the pie lid, then bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the pastry is golden-brown and crisp.

17. For the champ, place the peeled potatoes into a large pan, cover with lightly salted cold water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Drain and pass the potatoes through a potato ricer into a clean bowl, then set aside.

18. Put the spring onions, butter and milk in a pan and bring to the boil. Pour this mixture into the potatoes and mix until smooth and well combined. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

19. For the cabbage and bacon, remove 2-3 outer leaves of the cabbage and cook in a pan of boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes, or until just tender. Drain and set aside.

20. Finely slice the inner leaves of the cabbage, then mix together with the shallots, spring onions and bacon. Melt the butter in a pan until foaming, then gently sweat the shredded cabbage and bacon for 3-4 minutes, or until tender.

    Technique: Learning to chop: finely chopping celery

21. Layer the outer cabbage leaves on a layer of cling film and fill with the bacon and cabbage mixture. Roll tightly, twisting the ends of the cling film to seal.

22. To serve, place a neat spoonful of champ onto each serving plate. Place the pies on the plate beside the champ. Slice the cabbage 'sausage' into four equal pieces, remove the cling film and place one piece beside each pie. Top with the 'angels on horseback' and serve.

Overnight preparation time

1 to 2 hours cooking time

Serves 4