Eugene Walter’s steak & kidney pie

Eugene Walter’s steak and kidney pie is, as he contends, “one of the greatest of all dishes for a chilly evening,” or almost any evening for that matter. The recipe is relatively simple for a savory pie and would be a good place for the novice to begin cooking British food. The playful language of the original recipe is typical of Walter and most welcome, so although we have converted his format to the clearer bfia outline and tweaked the original for a better result, otherwise have left his prose intact. The recipe is from Walter’s Delectable Dishes from Termite Hall (Mobile 2001; orig. publ. Townsend GA 1982) About four servings.

• ¾ lb veal or lamb kidneys, washed, cored and cut into ½ inch cubes
• ¼ cup shredded suet, or half butter and half suet
• a chopped onion
• 1½ lb chuck steak cut into ¾ inch cubes
• 3 cups beef stock
• salt and pepper
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire “(OR Dijon or Creole mustard OR prepared horseradish)”
• 3 Tablespoons flour (preferably Wondra)
• pastry for a two crust pie

Preheat the oven to 425˚.

1. “Heat suet in big skillet until melted; add onion, sauté until transparent” and remove from the skillet.
2. “Add cubed steak and brown well; add stock, salt, pepper,” onion “and the Worcestershire or one of its understudies, cover, simmer an hour until meat is tender.
3. Add kidneys.
4. Sift flour gradually into pan, stirring all the while. Mix well. Remove from heat and let cool.
5. Line a 2-quart casserole with pastry and pour in meat filling. Fit pastry lid, seal, prick to well.
6. Bake… for 1 hour, or until crust is golden and the perfume of this dish is making dogs, cats and diners frantic.”

Notes:

-       “A good splash of sherry OR a dash of the best cognac added at the moment the pastry lid is about to be placed Never Hurt Anyone.

-       First arpeggio : Add 1 dozen freshly shucked oysters at moment kidneys are added.

-       Second arpeggio : Add 1 cup sliced, sautéed mushrooms and a splash of Madeira just before putting meat mixture into crust.

-       Third arpeggio : Add a few slices of crisp, crumbled bacon to filling.

-       Fourth arpeggio : Add thumb-sized bits of inner celery stalks which have been carefully de-stringed.”