Venison Pie

Venison recipes are absent from early Australian newspapers, but as early as 1803 a Mr Harris was keeping deer in an enclosure in Sydney known as 'the Swamp', and by the 1860s there were wild deer in Victoria. The Victorian Game Pie recipes that appeared in newspapers in the 1890s did not specify the type of "game" required, but rabbit seems a likely candidate.

This venison pie can also be made with a commercial puff pastry, with the pastry on top of the pie only. Redcurrant jelly - about a tablespoon - can be added to the sauce, or served on the side.

Marinade

1 onion, sliced

1 carrot, sliced

1 French shallot, finely chopped

1 stalk celery, sliced

bouquet (bay leaf, parsley, thyme)

2 cloves

1 cup white wine vinegar

oil

Saute the onion, carrot, shallot and celery in a little oil for 1 minute; add the bouquet, cloves and vinegar, bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow the marinade to cool. When cold, pass through a sieve and pour over the venison, previously seasoned with salt and pepper. Turn the venison once or twice while marinating. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Suet pastry

240 g plain flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

120g suet, finely chopped

90-100 ml water, approx.

Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a basin and add the finely-chopped (or grated) suet. Mix with water to a soft dry dough, knead well in the basin. Alternatively, whiz all ingredients in a food processor, knead well on a floured surface. Roll into a smooth ball. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate until the filling is ready.

Meat Filling

1 kg venison shoulder, diced into 2 cm pieces

1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, sliced 

salt, pepper and herbs (parsley, thyme, bay leaf)

1 cup rich gravy

1 leaf gelatine

Strain the marinade, reserve. Dust venison pieces with seasoned flour, brown in butter, remove to a clean saucepan. Saute onion and carrot, in extra butter if needed, and add to the venison. Add warmed marinade and water sufficient to cover, simmer about an hour (for farmed venison). Strain off the liquid and reserve for the "gravy". Allow the meat to cool.

Venison Pie

Cut the pastry into two pieces, two-thirds for the base and sides of the pie dish and one-third for the cover.

Roll out the large piece of pastry, line the base and sides of the pie dish. Spoon in the meat filling, smooth the top.

Roll out the pie cover, cut a circle of pastry from the centre and set aside.

Brush the edges of the pie cover with beaten egg or milk, place on the top of the pie and pinch the edges together. Brush the top with beaten egg and bake in a moderately hot oven for 60 minutes.

After 45 minutes, when the pie is almost ready, heat the gravy and reduce to 1 cup, stir in the softened gelatine, and pour through the hole left in the top of the pie. Serve with mashed potato and brussels sprouts. Serves 6.

Venison Pie

The recipe for small mutton (or lamb) pies can be adapted for cold cooked venison. If there is insufficient sauce left over from the roast, redcurrant jelly can be added and heated gently until dissolved. No gelatine is needed.

This recipe is enough for two small individual pies. The pastry is one-quarter the quantity given for mutton (or lamb) pie and it worked so well I'm going to try it again with a full-size venison pie.

Venison Pie

200-250g cooked venison

1/2 onion, diced

salt, pepper

125g plain flour

30g butter

1/4 cup milk

salt

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup rich gravy

Cut the venison into bite-size pieces, mix with onion; season with salt and pepper.

Sift the flour into a large bowl. In a small saucepan, melt the butter, add the milk and a dash of salt and heat until boiling. Pour milk and butter mixture onto sifted flour and work into a dough; knead well. Cut the dough into two pieces, two-thirds for the pie bases and one-third for the pie covers.

Cut the large piece of dough in two, roll out and line two small ramekins (or souffle dishes), greased with butter. Add venison mixture. Cut the smaller piece of dough in two, roll out the pie covers, cut a small hole in the centre of each and press onto the top of the pies. Brush with beaten egg yolk and pinch around the edges.

Bake pies in moderately hot oven for 30 minutes; remove from oven and pour gravy through the hole on top of each pie and cook a further 15 minutes. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Serve with mashed potato and red cabbage. Enjoyable with Vintage Cellars Chalkboard Cabernet Sauvignon.