Name: Venison and red wine pie with a suet crust
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 2 h 40 min
Total time: 3 h 40 min
Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients: 1kg diced venison shoulder; 3 tbsp plain flour; 3 tbsp rapeseed oil; 2 onions, chopped; 2 carrots, diced; 2 celery sticks, diced; 3 garlic cloves, crushed; 1 tbsp tomato purée; 8 juniper berries, lightly crushed; 400ml red wine; 400ml beef stock; 1 tbsp redcurrant jelly; 2 bay leaves; 4 fresh thyme sprigs; 15g unsalted butter; 250g chestnut mushrooms, halved; 350g self-raising flour, plus extra to dust; 175g shredded beef suet; 1 tsp English mustard powder; 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves; About 225ml cold water; 1 large egg, beaten, to glaze; A 2 litre pie dish

Venison and red wine pie with a suet crust

A slow late September weekend calls for a proper pie. This one hides tender venison braised in red wine with juniper and chestnut mushrooms beneath a golden suet crust flecked with thyme.

Freezable

Serves6

Hands-on1 hour plus cooling

Oven2 hours 40 min

DifficultyMedium

Suet pastry is a forgiving place to start with pastry: there is no rubbing in and no chilling, just a quick mix of flour, suet and water into a soft dough that bakes light and crisp on top while staying tender underneath. Here it covers a dark, glossy braise of venison shoulder and chestnut mushrooms, a hearty way to enjoy lean game meat.

Why it’s so good: Juniper and a spoonful of redcurrant jelly bring out the gentle sweetness of the venison, and two hours in a low oven turn the shoulder meltingly tender.

Make it easy: Make the filling a day or two ahead, then top with the crust and bake when needed.

Method

Heat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/gas 3. Toss the venison in the flour with plenty of seasoning. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large flameproof casserole over a medium-high heat and brown the meat in 3 batches for 4-5 minutes each, until well coloured on all sides. Transfer to a bowl.

Add the remaining oil to the casserole with the onions, carrots and celery. Cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring often, until soft and golden at the edges. Stir in the garlic, tomato purée and juniper and cook for 1 minute.

Pour in the wine, scraping up the sticky bits from the base, and bubble for 3-4 minutes until reduced by about a third. Add the stock, redcurrant jelly, bay, thyme sprigs, venison and any juices. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook in the oven for 2 hours until the meat is tender enough to break apart with a spoon.

Towards the end of the braising time, melt the butter in a frying pan over a high heat and fry the mushrooms for 5-6 minutes until golden. Stir them into the braise and remove the bay and thyme stalks. If the sauce is thin, simmer uncovered on the hob for 5-10 minutes until it coats the back of a spoon. Taste, season, spoon into the pie dish and leave to cool for at least 30 minutes.

Turn the oven up to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. For the crust, mix the flour, suet, mustard powder, thyme leaves and ½ tsp salt in a bowl. Add the water a little at a time, mixing with a table knife, until the mixture comes together into a soft dough that is not sticky. Knead very briefly on a lightly floured surface until smooth.

Roll the dough out to about 1cm thick and a little larger than the top of the dish. Brush the rim of the dish with water, lay the crust over and press the edges to seal, then trim and crimp. Cut a small hole in the centre for steam and brush all over with the beaten egg.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until the crust is risen and deep golden and the filling is bubbling at the edges. Leave to stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Per serving (Serves 6)

Calories

820kcals

Fat

38g (15g saturated)

Protein

45g

Carbohydrates

60g (9g sugars)

Fibre

Salt

1.3g

Quick wins, tips & make ahead

The filling freezes well for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge, then top with the crust and bake as above, checking the filling is steaming hot in the centre before serving.

Diced beef shin can replace the venison; braise it for 2 hours 30 minutes. Vegetable suet works in place of beef suet in the crust.

Serve with buttered greens and mash or roast potatoes. Leftovers keep, covered, in the fridge for up to 2 days; reheat until steaming hot all the way through.