Beef Stew Pot Pie

I love to make stews on cold New England winter days and I serve it with a nice hunk of crusty bread, and I enjoy chicken pot pies especially the flaky crust yummmmo so I thought hmmmmm Beef stew pot pie. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
Thanks,
Monica

2 lb stew beef, cut into bit sized pieces
1 pkgfrozen pearl onions
1 pkgfrozen peas and carrots
2 boxes beef stock (unsalted)
1/2 cup red wine (i used tawny port this time, but i have used all types and they all work)
2 cups flour
1carrot diced
1celery stalk diced
1small onion diced
1garlic clovedminced
2 Tbsp tomato paste
4slices of slab bacon cut into ladons
2 Tbspunsalted butter
olive oil
fingerling or small potatoes cut into uniform bit sized pieces. i love the mutli colored fingerlings they are red, purple and golden
mushrooms diced (any kind work fine)
bay leaf
1 tsp dried thyme, put 1/2 in the flour and 1/2 into the stew
salt and pepper
parsley roughly chopped
1granulated garlic
dried rosemary
puff pastry sheet, thawed
1egg

Directions

1

 In a large pot cook the bacon until crispy, remove and keep the rendered fat to use to cook the beef.

2

 In a large plastic bag add the flour, granulated garlic, salt, pepper and whatever dried spices you like, I used thyme and dried rosemary. Place some of the beef (this is done in batches) into the bag and shake to coat the beef. Shake off the excess flour

3

 Add the floured beef to the hot bacon fat, you may need to add some butter and or oil as you cook the meat in batches. Brown all the meat on all sides. Keep the heat on lower so that you don't burn the bottom bits in the pan. You'll want to keep those to scrape off into the stew when you add the wine. Adds so much flavor.

4

 When all the beef is brown and set aside, Add more butter and or olive oil and add the onions cook a bit then add the diced carrot, celery salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes. Scrape the pan and get some of those bits up. add the garlic and then tomato paste. scrape scrape scrape.

5

 Add the wine to the pot and more scraping until the bits are all mixed into the stew. Add the bay leaf and dried spices and mix. Cook together for a few minutes

6

 Return the beef and bacon to the pot and stir. Add the beef stock and stir. Let the pot simmer for about 15 minutes.

7

 Add the potatoes and let simmer for 20-30 minutes After the potatoes have been in for about 15 minutes add the mushrooms.

8

 Add the pearl onions. I like to thicken my stew with room temperature butter and the flour (equal parts of both) I used to coat the beef. incorporate the butter and flour till well mixed and add little by little to the simmering stew until it thickens to your liking. Taste for seasonings and adjust.

9

 Turn oven on to 400. Remove the stew from the heat. Take the bowls that you are going to use and measure the pastry big enough to over lap the cup with the pastry and cut out. For fun I sometimes make shapes to put on top to jazz it up a bit. Either cut it free hand or use a small cookie cutter.

10

 When the oven is at temperature add the carrots, peas and parsley and stir. Spoon the stew into your oven safe cups.

11

 Place the puff pastry dough over the cups and pinch to seal.

12

 Brush the tops with the egg wash, I sprinkle a little salt and pepper and herbs on top here as well.

13

 Let me know what you think. Thanks Monica