Family Venison Pie
500g shoulder of venison, cut into large chunks
1 bay leaf 1 carrot, roughly chopped
1 parsnip, roughly chopped 1 onion, roughly chopped
1½ celery sticks, roughly chopped Olive oil and butter, for frying
1 garlic clove, crushed ½ cup barbecue sauce
1 cup red wine ½ cup beef stock
1 thyme sprig (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
2½ tbsp plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
Method
Heat oven to 180˚C. On the cooktop, in a heavy casserole dish, fry the vegetables in a little oil and butter for four-five minutes until golden. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, then set aside.
Place the venison in a plastic bag with the seasoned flour and shake to coat. Add a little more oil and butter to the pan, then fry the venison over a high heat, stirring occasionally, until well browned. Cook in batches if necessary - do not overfill the pan. Set aside with the vegetables.
Add the wine to the pan and bring to the boil, scraping up all the fried bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the barbecue sauce and the stock, then the thyme and the bay leaf, followed by the meat and vegetables. Season to taste and bring to the boil. Cover and transfer to the oven for approximately one hour.
Line a pie dish with pastry, add the pie mixture, then top with your choice of pastry, potato mash or kumara mash, and cook for a further 30 minutes, or until the pastry is cooked.
DIDA’S, 54 Jervois Road, T: 09 361 6157, www.didas.co.nz