Scottish Venison Pie

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scottish venison pieStyleNest’s recipe for venison pie is the perfect treat for Burn’s Night.

Serves 4

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 2 hours

What You’ll Need:

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 115g (4oz) smoked streaky bacon – diced
  • 175g (6oz) small shallots
  • 750g (1lb 10oz) Scottish venison leg meat – diced
  • 2 cloves garlic – finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons tomato puree
  • 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons plain flour
  • 115g (4oz) small button mushrooms
  • 250ml (1 cup) red wine
  • 400ml (14floz) hot beef or vegetable stock
  • 2 teaspoons juniper berries
  • 2 fresh bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme

For the pastry top:

  • 500g (1lb) ready-made butter puff pastry and a little flour for rolling
  • 1 egg and 1 tablespoon milk – beaten together

What To Do:

For the pie filling:

  1. Sauté the bacon pieces and shallots gently in the oil for 6-8 minutes.  Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon, leaving the oil in the pot and set to one side.
  2. Add the diced venison a little at a time to the flavoured oil in the pot and seal.
  3. Stir in the garlic, tomato puree and black pepper, sprinkle over the flour and stir.
  4. Return the cooked bacon and shallots along with the mushrooms to the pot.
  5. Stir in the red wine, hot stock, juniper berries, bay leaves and thyme.  Bring to a simmer on the hob, place on the lid and transfer to the oven to cook 1 ½ hours. Once the filling is cooked remove the bay leaves, any herb twigs and season to taste.

Increase the oven temperature to 200°F/ 180°C Fan assisted / 400°F/ Gas Mark 6

To make the pie:

  1. Dust a work surface and a rolling pin with a little flour and roll out the pastry to approximately 5-7mm (¼ inch) thick.  Turn the pie dish upside down and use as a guide to cut a circle 1- 1 ½ cm (½ inch) larger than the top.  Cut some thin strips from the remaining pastry to use around the rim of the dish.
  2. Place the cooked filling into the pie dish.  Brush some of the beaten egg mix around the edges of the pie dish and place on the pastry strips joining up where necessary.  Brush the pastry strips with some more of the beaten egg mixture and place on the pastry top.  Press the pastry down gently around the edges to seal. Brush the top with the remaining beaten egg.  Cook for 20 – 25 minutes until puffed up and deep golden brown.

Recipe from Le Creuset.

 

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