Tender and rich, this pie is a real centrepiece. Look for venison meat labelled ‘braising’ or use chopped shoulder or leg. You can, of course,replace the venison with braising/stewing steak, if you prefer.
900 -1kg braising venison, cut into rough 2.5-3cm pieces, see intro
3 Tbsp. flour, plus 1tbsp
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
300 ml red wine
650 ml beef stock
2 fresh or 4 dried bay leaves
3 bushy thyme sprigs
3/4 Tbsp. English mustard
For the pastry
1 medium egg yolk
1 Tbsp. milk
320 g sheet ready-rolled puff pastry
Directions
Step 1For the filling, cook the pancetta in a large casserole dish (that has a lid)
over medium heat until beginning
to crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove to a bowl. Increase heat to
medium-high and cook the mushrooms
until golden and any liquid in the
casserole dish has evaporated. Empty
into the pancetta bowl.
Step 2In a large bowl, toss the venison in
the 3tbsp flour and plenty of seasoning
to coat. Return the casserole dish to
medium-high heat and add 1tbsp oil.
Fry the venison in batches until
browned all over, adding to the
pancetta bowl when ready, and adding
remaining 1tbsp oil as needed.
Step 3Preheat oven to 160°C (140°C fan)
mark 3. Add the wine to the empty
casserole dish and bubble for a few
min, scraping the bottom of the dish
with a wooden spoon to release
the cooked-on bits.
Step 4Add the stock, herbs, mustard and
plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
Return the venison mixture (and any
liquid) to the casserole dish and bring
to the boil. Cover and cook in the oven
for 2hr, or until the venison is tender.
Step 5Strain mixture through a colander
or sieve into a bowl or jug. Empty the
venison mixture into a rough 1.5 litre
lipped pie dish. Pick out and discard
the thyme sprigs and bay leaves.
Measure the 1tbsp flour into a medium
pan and gradually whisk in the strained
liquid. Cook over medium hob heat,
whisking constantly, until slightly
thickened. Pour into the pie dish, mix
and check seasoning. Cool completely.
Step 6Reheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan)
mark 6. For the pastry, in a small bowl,
mix the egg yolk and milk to make a
glaze. Brush the rim of the pie dish
with some glaze. Unroll the pastry, roll
a little thinner, then lay on to the dish
to cover. Crimp or press on to the
edges to seal, trimming excess pastry.
Step 7Reroll trimmings to 1-2mm thick
and stamp out shapes, if you like,
using autumnal cutters. Stick to the
pastry using a little glaze. Brush
the whole pastry lid with more glaze.
Slice a cross into the centre of the
lid to allow steam to escape.
Step 8Cook in the oven for 40-45min,
or until deep golden and piping
hot. Serve.
GET AHEAD
Prepare to end of step 7 up to a day ahead. Cover and chill. To serve, cook in an oven preheated to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6 for 45-50min, or until deep golden and piping hot.
The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time
