Old english venison pie

I just love pies, sweet or savoury, meat or veggie, topped with pastry or potato, bring them on!

This is a recipe from an old game cookbook. It’s a rich, warming winter pie with a faint hint of orange from the unusual addition of marmalade.

If venison isn’t your choice of meat it will work just as well with beef and if suet, for the pastry, isn’t readily available use puff or short crust.

OLD ENGLISH VENISON PIE
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

700 g venison, cubed
25 g seasoned flour
2 tbsp oil or dripping
1 large onion, chopped
100 g streaky rindless bacon, chopped
150 ml red wine
600 ml beef stock
salt and pepper to taste
6-8 juniper berries, crushed
2 level tbsp coarse cut orange marmalade
4 tbsp double cream
For the pastry:
150 g self raising flour
pinch salt
75 g shredded suet
100 ml cold water to mix

METHOD:

Toss the venison in the seasoned flour. Heat the oil or dripping in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Fry the meat, in batches until nicely browned and sealed. Do not overcrowd the pan.

Add the onion and bacon and continue to cook for a few minutes.

Sprinkle in any remaining flour, mix well, then add the wine and stock and bring to the boil.

Season well, add the juniper berries and marmalade and cover the pan. Simmer gently for about 1 hour or until the meat is tender.

Adjust the seasoning, stir in the cream, and pour into a pie dish and leave to cool.

Preheat the oven to 200 C/Gas 6.

Make the pastry by sifting the flour and salt into a bowl, stir in the suet and add sufficient water to make a firm but pliable dough.

Roll out the pastry on a well floured surface, about 2.5 cm larger than the top of the dish.
Cut off a strip 2.5 cm wide and place it on the dampened rim of the dish.

Brush this with water and then position the remaining pastry on top, pressing the edges well together. Trim the edges and crimp together. Use the trimmings to make leaves to decorate the top of the pie.

Make a hole in the centre and glaze with the beaten egg then bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Serve.