Brews & Eats

This winter warmer gives the heartiest of meat stews a run for its money. 

Cooking the component parts may seem a bit fiddly but it ensures each ingredient retains its perfect flavour and texture.  4 tbsp light olive or vegetable oil 1 large celeriac (about 1kg), peeled & cut into 1cm chunks 1 tbsp white wine vinegar 60g butter 2 large red onions, roughly sliced 500g flat mushrooms, thickly sliced 1 glass of red wine 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 150g cavolo nero (black kale), leaves stripped from their stalks & washed 100ml double cream ¼ whole nutmeg, finely grated 1 x 300g ready-rolled sheet all-butter puff or flaky pastry beaten egg, for brushing salt & black pepper Turn the oven to 190°C/Gas 5. Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a pan, add the celeriac, adding the vinegar and half the butter during cooking. Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in a frying pan with the remaining tablespoon of oil and fry the onion on a medium heat until starting to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until they start to release their moisture. Pour in the wine, add the chopped garlic and let the liquid bubble and reduce until you have a dark, sticky mess. Season with salt and pepper. While the mushrooms cook, blanch the kale in salted water in two batches for 1½ minutes each. Remove with a slotted spoon and plunge straight into ice cold water to stop the cooking and fix the colour. When cool, squeeze out the water and roughly chop. Combine all the component parts in a large bowl. Pour in the cream, grate in the nutmeg, mix gently and check the seasoning. Pack the mixture snugly into a shallow pie dish. Cut out the pastry to the size of the rim of your dish and place it over the top of the filling, tucking it around the sides.  Brush with the egg and slash a couple of holes in it for the steam to escape. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the filling is bubbling around the edges. www.riverford.co.uk/recipes