Musselburgh Pie
Tender braised beef steak layered with fresh mussels under a golden puff pastry lid, bringing together historic land and sea flavours.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 90 min
- Total
- 120 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 620 kcal
Equipment
- •casserole dish
- •pie dish
- •slotted spoon
- •pastry brush
- •chopping board
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 620 kcal
- fat
- 32 g
- carbs
- 38 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 42 g
- calories
- 620 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Toss the diced beef in plain flour with half the salt and black pepper.
- 2
Heat the oil and butter in a casserole dish over medium-high heat.
- 3
Brown the beef in small batches until well-coloured on all sides, then remove.
- 4
Add the chopped onion to the casserole dish and cook until soft and sweet.
- 5
Return the beef, pour in the beef stock, cover, and simmer gently for 1 hour.
- 6
Steam the mussels in a lidded pan with two tablespoons of water for 3 minutes.
- 7
Discard any mussels that remain closed, then take the cooked meats out of their shells.
- 8
Stir the shelled mussels and chopped parsley into the beef mixture and let it cool slightly.
- 9
Transfer the beef and mussel mixture into an oval pie dish.
- 10
Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
- 11
Drape puff pastry over the pie dish, trim the overhang, crimp, and brush with beaten egg.
- 12
Bake for 30 minutes until the pastry is puffed, crisp, and deep golden brown.
Chef's tips
Cool the filling before topping with pastry so the butter in the pastry stays chilled and rises properly. Ensure mussels are cleaned and checked before cooking; discard any cracked shells or ones that do not shut when tapped. Use a pie funnel if you have one to prevent soggy pastry.
Ingredient substitutions
- ready-rolled puff pastry → rough puff pastry or shortcrust pastry
- braising beef → stewing steak or shin of beef
- fresh mussels → pickled mussels rinsed in cold water or tinned smoked mussels
Storage
Store leftover pie covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Reheating
Reheat in an oven preheated to 180°C for 15 to 20 minutes until the filling is piping hot and pastry is crisp.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Adding hot filling straight under pastry, which melts the fat and ruins the pastry rise.
- •Cooking mussels with the beef from the start, making them rubbery and dry.
- •Failing to discard mussels that refuse to open during steaming.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Musselburgh Pie?
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