Lunch after the rugby – on the day

Take your puff pastry sheet out of the fridge 30 minutes before required to allow it to warm up – by doing this the pastry won't tear.

You will also need 1 egg, beaten.

Using a slotted spoon remove the steak from the slow cooker and set aside in your pie dish. Drizzle 3 to 4 ladles of the gravy over the steak - you should find that it is a good consistency for a pie filling. In my opinion you then need extra gravy for the table and here it becomes a matter of how you like your gravy. My aim is to add a covering on the steak and then thicken the remainder ready to serve in a jug at the table.

If you wish to thicken your remaining gravy then slake 2 tsps of cornflour with water, bring your gravy to the boil, reduce to a simmer and add the cornflour gradually – stirring continuously, you'll achieve the thickness you prefer. Technical term of the day “slake” - the mixing of a thickening agent i.e. cornflour (or arrowroot) with water. You can leave your thickened gravy in the slow cooker until you're ready to re-heat and transfer to your serving jug later. Keep it cool and covered.

Now for the mushrooms :

250g (1 punnet) of chestnut mushrooms, trimmed

and quartered

drop of rapeseed oil and knob of unsalted butter

salt and black pepper

glug of dry sherry or red wine

Adding dry sherry or dry red wine to mushrooms brings out the flavour – you don't need to drown them in alcohol. For guidance - in my kitchen a glug is approximately 25ml.

Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan and add the mushrooms, season. Fry the mushrooms on a medium heat for 2 minutes and then add the dry sherry or red wine. Cook for a further 2 minutes allowing the sherry or wine to reduce. Add the mushrooms to the slow cooked steak and gravy. Your filling is now complete and ready for its pastry lid.

Pre-heat your oven 180fan/200c/Gas 6.

Unroll your pastry and cut to size of pie dish. Brush the edges with beaten egg and “glue” to the top of the filling. Egg wash the top of the pie and bake for 30 minutes until puffed and golden.

Here's what the pie filling looks like :

and the finished product!

Definitely up there on the easy list.

Suggestions for what to serve with the pie :

Do you love cauliflower cheese but half the family or friends love one but not the other? Here's my answer – whilst your pie and potatoes are cooking steam a whole cauliflower and serve it just as is. This is where your efforts are rewarded making the Alfredo sauce yesterday - warm it through and serve in individual jugs if you want to be cheffy or a large jug otherwise – everyone is happy!

If you want an endorsement which I appreciate you may think is biased - all I can say is that my husband “H” is honest – good or bad. Our friends liked it post rugby and the following evening I gave H and Susie Q a choice for supper – they both chose the pie - H would never opt to eat the same meal two days running – I think my case rests as the legal eagles say!