1

Lightly spray four 1-cup (250ml) capacity ovenproof dishes. Cut 2 brown onions into thin wedges. Cut remaining into 4 thin slices, discarding ends. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook beef, in batches, for 5–7 minutes or until browned. Remove.

2

Reheat same pan over medium- high heat. Add onion wedges and garlic and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add stock, paste, ale and beef and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.

3

Preheat oven to 220°C or 200°C fan-forced. Add mushrooms and parsley to pan. Simmer, uncovered, for a further 30 minutes or until beef is tender and sauce has thickened. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spoon mixture into prepared dishes and cover with pastry, trimming if necessary. Top each pie with an onion slice. Season with freshly ground black pepper and bake for 20 minutes or until pastry is golden and crisp.

4

Meanwhile, cook potatoes in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 10 minutes, adding peas for last 2 minutes. Drain and return to pan. Mash until almost smooth. Add milk and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, stirring to combine. Serve pea mash with beef and ale pot pies.