The pie plan!

As you'd expect I'm cooking ahead – the steak and kidney was slow cooked on Thursday, cooled, bagged and fridged, ready to pull together.

To make life easier, here are the recipes for both pie fillings – first up :

Steak and Kidney Pie filling

1kg/2.2lbs braising steak or stewing steak, cubed

275g/10oz lambs kidneys, diced

glug of rapeseed or Canola oil

2 x Knorr beef stock pots

2 heaped tbsp tomato paste

2 cloves of roasted garlic or fresh crushed garlic

salt and black pepper

You'll need a pie dish measuring 23x23x5cms/9x9x2”

Brown and season the steak in a large frying pan, using a drop of rapeseed oil – do this in small batches – if you don't you'll get grey looking meat, it will take ages and it will stew. Using a slotted spoon pop the browned meat into the slow cooker. Toss the kidneys in a little plain flour then brown in the frying pan and add to the steak in the slow cooker.

Dissolve the stock pots, gently, in the residual pan juices, then add the tomato paste – make sure the paste is properly melted and “cooked out” - if you don't do this you'll have a bitter taste. Add a glug of water to the melted stock pots and the tomato paste, stir well to combine, repeat until your pan is two thirds full. Bring to the boil and then tip – carefully – into the slow cooker. The “gravy” should cover the steak and kidney – if it doesn't top it up with boiling water. Slow cook for on low for 4 hours. If your gravy is too thin – it's personal choice - add a little slaked cornflour and thicken to taste. If you decide to thicken the gravy then I'd take the steak and kidney out of the gravy before thickening. It might seem a bit of a faff but it's worth it – the meat won't break up.

Set the slow cooked steak and kidney aside and fridge until you're ready to roll.

Now for the Cheese, Potato and Onion filling ...