• Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan forced)
  

To Make a Family Sized Pie

• Place the cold stew into a large pie dish.
  
• Using a pastry brush (or your clean finger) brush milk around the rim of the pie dish.
  
• Place the sheet of pastry over the cold filling.
  
• Press the pastry around the edges of the pie dish to seal.
  
• Run a sharp knife around the edge of the pie dish to trim any overhanging pastry.  The pie can be frozen at this stage.
  
• Brush the pastry with milk.
  
• Cut a small incision in the middle of the pie with a sharp knife.
  
• Bake for 30 - 40 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and well risen.  The pie filling may start to bubble out the cut in the pastry, or around the edges, indicating that the filling is hot.
  
• Remove the pie from the oven, and allow to sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving with your favourite sides.  The resting time just allows the filling to settle.
  

To Make Individual Pies*

• Place your ramekins top-down on the pastry, and cut around it with a sharp knife.  
  
• Repeat for the remaining ramekins.
  
• Divide the cold stew evenly between the ramekins.
  
• Brush the edges of the ramekins with milk.
  
• Press the pastry circles onto the edge of the ramekins or tuck the pastry in around the edge of the ramekins.
  
• Repeat as for the large family pie above.