Venison shepherds pie
Ingredients
50g butter
200g streaky bacon cut into chunks
4 leeks cut into large chunks
3 celery sticks, sliced
3 carrots halved lengthways and sliced
2 bay leaves
3 tbsp plain flour
300ml cider
500ml chicken stock
2 tbsp double cream
6 pheasant breasts, skinned and cut into large chunks
3 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 tbsp cider vinegar
500g block puff pastry
plain flour for dusting
egg beaten with a little milk, to glaze
Method
step 1
Heat the butter in a casserole dish and cook the bacon for 1 min until it changes colour. Add
the leeks, celery, carrots and bay, and cook until they start to soften. Stir the flour into the
veg until it goes a sandy colour, then splash in the cider and reduce. Pour in the chicken
stock, stir, then add the cream. Season, then bring everything to a simmer. Add the pheasant
and gently simmer for 20 mins until the meat and veg are tender. Stir through the mustard
and vinegar, then turn off the heat and cool.
step 2
Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Tip the mixture into a large rectangular dish. Roll the
pastry out on a floured surface, place over the dish and trim round the edges, leaving an
overhang. Brush the pastry with egg, then decorate with any leftover pastry, if you like.
Sprinkle with a little sea salt.
The pie can now be frozen for up to 1 month; defrost completely before baking. Bake for 30-
35 mins until golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 mins before serving.
