Venison and Wild mushroom pie
Serves 6 small pies or 4 larger ones
Ingredients:
800g diced venison (or beef if you prefer)
50g chantrelle mushrooms- roughly chopped
50g pine or trompets mushroom- roughly chopped
100g swiss brown mushrooms - roughly chopped
1 brown onion - finely diced
6 sage leaves
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
2 rashers bacon - diced
50ml port
100ml red wine
80g plain flour
80g butter
1/2 bunch thyme - chopped
1 roma tomato - chopped
500ml beef stock
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 packet puff pastry
2 eggs
20ml milk
Cracked black pepper
Sea salt
Method:
Start by baking your pie cases, I use a muffin large muffin tin and cut big round circles out of the pastry and push them into the tins. Then cut some squares of baking paper and put them inside the pastry and fill it with rice. This will keep the pastry to a good shape while it bakes. Put it in a preheated oven at the temperature specified by the packet for 3 minutes less than reccommended. Remove the cases from the oven and tip the rice and baking paper out. In a small bowl mix the milk and eggs. Now using a pastry brush brush the inside of the cases with the egg mix and place them back in the oven for a further 2 minutes, then remove and allow them to cool. Cut some appropriatly sized lids from your remaining pastry and crack some black pepper over them, then brush it with the egg mixture and place them into the oven for the appropriate amount of time. Remove them from the oven and allow to cool.
In a large pot melt the butter and when it is hot add the garlic and diced brown onion. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes on a medium heat and then add all of the mushrooms. Let them cook for a further 3 min utes before adding the bacon (diced) and venison (or beef if you have chosen to use it). Let the meat brown slightly and then add the herbs and tomato which should be chopped. Now add the flour and continuously stir until the bottom of the pot is dry. When it reaches this stage combine the red wine and port and slowly pour it into the pot stirring the entire time. When all of the alcohol has been added put the dried spices into the pot (bayleaf and paprika) and the beef stock. You will also need to add a good amount of salt and pepper. Allow the mixture to cook for 30-40 minutes on a low heat, at this stage you should have a nice thick gravy, if not cook a little longer, if it looks a little dry at any time add a little more beef stock. Check the fl;avour and add more salt or pepper if needed.
To finish spoon a good amount of the pie mix into the cases and rest the lids on the top, then place in the oven at 200 degrees for 3 minutes to warm the pastry up. Serve accompanied with some wilted vegetables or salad. A great dish for those hopefully few remaining cold nights of winter.
Other Popular Audio Clips