Tuesday, 10 July 2012

Venison Pie




makes 1 huge pie or two smaller ones

Ingredients
125ml vinegar mixed with about 3 cups of water
2 kg venison leg or shoulder
500g - 750gr pork, chopped (optional)
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped,
3 big garlic cloves, chopped
3 whole cloves

a little cake flour
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons ground coriander
2 cups beef stock
1 cup red wine
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 rolls ready-made puff pastry
1 egg, beaten

Method
Leave meat over night in the vinegar water to get rid off all the excess blood. The next day, remove the meat from the water and pat dry. Preheat oven to 180. In a cast iron pot, heat the olive oil and saute the onion and garlic. When the onion has browned, add the meat, bay leaves, coriander, stock, wine, salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and place the lid on. Place pot in the oven and cook the meat for 2-3 hours, it must be fall-off-the-bone tender. If it needs more water, add a little at a time. When the meat is tender, taste for seasoning and adjust. Quickly remove all the bones using two forks. Mix the flour with a little water and add to the pot to thicken the sauce. Allow to cool and now you are ready to make the pie.

To Make the Pie
Spray a big pie dish with non-stick spray. Roll out the puff pastry and line the bottom of the pie dish. Spoon the meat into the pie dish. Beat the egg and brush some of the egg wash around the edge of the bottom pastry sheet, it acts as a clue to keep top crust and bottom crust together. Roll out the other pastry and make a lid for your pie. Crimp the edge of the pie and give it a good egg wash. Bake for 3--40 minutes or until pie is golden brown and all puffed out. Serve with some stewed peaches and sweet green peas