Venison & Mushroom Pie

We were blessed to have some really good quality wild venison to cook this week. The first night we cooked a truly fabulous Annabel Langbein recipe, serving the fillets on ginger mashed kumara, with a sweet red wine and balsamic sauce. It really was sensational, partly down to the tender quality and flavour of the meat, as well as the accompaniments of course. 

But tonight I had the challenge of using the rest of the meat to create a pie (Hubby's orders. But who doesn't like pie right?). The challenge was, that the meat was from the eye fillet, so exceptionally tender and only requiring quick cooking. 

Pies are traditionally a dish that are suited to a tougher cut of meat. This recipe explains how to cook it using a high quality cut of meat. However if you had stewing steak then you'd simply rearrange the order, brown the meat first, and simmer it in the gravy for at least 40 minutes till it's tender, before cooling and using as a pie filling. 

One of my tips with pies is to cool the filling first. It doesn't have to be fridge cold (though you could prepare the filling a day in advance), but you certainly do not want it hot. It would cause the pastry to melt a little which you don't want to happen prior to going into the oven. Also, a HOT oven, so make sure to preheat first. 

Ingredients (Serves 4-6 with sides): 

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 400g venison fillets, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp flour 
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 c red wine  
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 50g butter
• 200g mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 1 cup diced pumpkin
• 1 tbsp dried thyme (or 1/4c of fresh thyme) 
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 cup of beef stock
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 sheets of butter puff pastry*
• 1/2 cup frozen peas

Toss the chopped meat in the first measure of flour, seasoned with salt and pepper. 

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large frying pan. Lightly brown the meat in batches and set aside in a bowl. 

Once the meat is browned, reduce the heat to low and use the wine to de-glaze the pan. Stirring until all of the bits have been removed from the bottom of the pan, and the wine has significantly reduced. Pour this over top of the meat and set aside. 

Heat the oil and half of the butter in a large frying pan. Add the mushrooms and pumpkin and saute for 5-10 minutes until mushrooms are softened. 

Add the garlic, additional butter, and thyme, and stir till the butter has melted. Sprinkle over the flour and stir to coat. 

Gradually add the hot beef stock to the pan (if using a cheaper cut of meat return it to the pan now to stew in the gravy), stirring constantly and allow the sauce to thicken. 

Once thickened, remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature (if using a fillet cut of meat stir it into the gravy once cooled). 

Preheat the oven to 190*C fanbake (210*C bake). 

Butter a 22cm pie dish and line the base with the thawed pastry. Cutting to fit. 

Spoon the cooled filling into the base and sprinkle with 1/2 a cup of frozen peas. 

Use the remaining pastry to cover the top. If you don't have enough a rustic lattice top will do the trick (I like my pies to be rustic and somewhat freeform). If you do fully cover the top, be sure to prick a few holes in the top to allow it to steam. 

Bake for 40 minutes till the centre is hot.  

Remove from the oven and sit for 10 mins before cutting. 

Serve with roasted potatoes and steamed veggies or salads. 

* Many store bought pastries are made with vegetable fat (often palm oil), check the ingredients and if possible it's worth spending the few extra dollars for butter puff pastry. 

Sausages with Veggie Mash and Onion Gravy

Sausages, mash, and gravy are a winter classic comfort food. So perfect for filling bellies and warming us up on these cooler evenings. This version is surprisingly healthy, thanks to the fact that the mash is laden with cauliflower! Steamed and pureed and disguised brilliantly within the mashed potato… perfect way to get your vegetables in, especially for those who usually try to avoid them. Plus being partly cauliflower, means you can dig in without feeling to weighed down.

I’ve managed to make this using only one pot, and one frying pan. Follow my directions, and you can avoid some dishes too.

The cauliflower and potato are cooked separately. This is because the cauliflower needs to be pureed, and the potato only mashed. Do NOT try to take a shortcut and puree the potato, it will become far too stodgy. You can however mash the cauliflower, just bear in mind that it won’t come out as smooth, and may be noticed by those you’re trying to disguise it from!! I season my mash with a pinch of white pepper and nutmeg, but good old salt and pepper will also do the trick.

This time I’ve used the new Hellers Stout Mushroom and Angus Beef Sausages, the stout flavour really sung through and added a depth to the dish. Of course feel free to use your favourite type of good quality sausage if you prefer.  

Ingredients (serves 3 adults or 2 adults & 2 children):

• 2 cups of cauliflower florets
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion
• 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard, optional
• 1 cup beef stock (powdered is fine)
• 2 tsp cornflour
• 3 large potatoes (about 4 cups when peeled and diced)
• 1 tbsp butter and salt and pepper
• 6 pack of Hellers Stout Mushroom and Angus Beef Sausages or another favourite
• Steamed green vegetables to serve

Prepare the cauliflower and add to a pot with 1cm of water in the bottom. Cover and simmer on a medium heat for 5 minutes or until the cauliflower is nice and soft. Pour the cauliflower and cooking liquid into a container to puree with a stick mixer, or puree in a blender. Set aside.

While the cauliflower is cooking, peel and slice an onion. Heat the oil in a large frying pan (oven proof if possible, but not mandatory), and cook the onion on a low heat stirring often. This will take 5-10 minutes for the onions to become soft, but be sure to stir as we don’t want to brown them. Once softened, add the stock and mustard. Combine the cornflour with a little cold water, before adding to the onion gravy also. Simmer for another 5 minutes till reduced and thickened a little. Turn the heat off, and pour the gravy into a bowl to rest.

Using this pan, place the sausages, you can fry them gently in the pan, or pop the pan into a 180 degree celcius oven to cook. They take about 20-25 minutes in the oven, turning once.

Meanwhile, in the same pot that you cooked the cauliflower, place the peeled and roughly chopped potatoes, add salt and enough water to cover. Cover and boil for about 12 minutes till soft. Drain most of the water, leaving about 1cm in the bottom. Add 1 tbsp of butter and mash well. Once mashed fold in the pureed cauliflower and season to taste.

In bowls dish up the mash and top with two cooked sausages (just one for the kids, but if you halve them lengthways they feel like they’re still having two). There should be some sausage fat in the pan, I like to pour the gravy back in and gently heat to incorporate this fat, but that’s totally up to you. Once the gravy has been reheated pour liberally over the sausages.

Serve with steamed greens and enjoy.

Chicken and Mushroom Pie

Leftover roast chicken makes a great easy pie filling, which is perfect for these colder nights that we have been getting lately. A simple addition of a mushroom gravy and puff pastry turns your leftover chicken into this gluttonously satisfying meal. 

Ingredients (Serves 4 - 6)

• 400g puff pastry 
• 2 -3 cups of leftover roasted chicken, shredded (approx 2 chicken breasts) 
• 2 cups thickly sliced mushrooms
• 1 tbsp olive oil/butter
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove crushed garlic
• 1 tsp dried time
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 small carrot, finely diced
• 1 small parsnip, finely diced
• 1 tbsp cornflour 
• 1 cup of chicken stock (salt reduced if possible)  

Finely dice the onion, carrot and parsnip (approx 5 mm, you don't want to notice them in the pie).  

In a frying pan, heat the butter or oil on a medium - low heat, and add onion and garlic, saute gently for a few minutes before adding herbs, carrot, and parsnip. Continue sauteing until softened. Add a little more butter if necessary and add the thickly sliced mushrooms, stirring occasionally for the next 5 mins till softened.
  
Sprinkle over 1 tbsp of cornflour and quickly toss to coat the vegetables. 

Pour in 1 cup of chicken stock and stir over a low heat till reduced and thickened slightly. Set aside to cool. 

Grease a pie dish and preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.  

Roll out 2/3 of the pastry on a lightly floured surface to about 5mm thick, line the base and sides of the pie dish, leaving the edges to over hang. 

Mix the chicken with the cooled mushroom gravy and pour into the pie dish. 

Roll the remaining pastry to cover the top of the pie. Moisten the edges of the pastry (where the base and top overlap) with a little water and then use your fingers or a fork to crimp the edges together. Brush with a little melted butter then prick holes in the top of the pie before popping in a hot oven. Bake for 35-45 minutes until the pastry is puffed, golden and the filling is heated through. 

Allow to cool for 5 minutes at least before cutting open and serving with salad. Remember: You must always blow on the pie. 

Bacon and Mushroom Pappardelle

If you're a fan of carbonara pasta then this is the recipe for you. It's ridiculously easy to prepare and even easier to wolf down. Sure it's not the healthiest of pasta meals, using cream, bacon and plenty of carb loading pasta, but it's jam packed with flavour and also, in this case packed with vegetables. The cream works out to be only 1/4 of a cup per person, that's nothing! And as for the bacon, you'd probably eat more in your Sunday morning fry up. 
So when you think about it - it's actually really healthy. 
Honest. 

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 200 grams lean free range bacon, diced
• 400 grams button mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 1 cup of cream
• 2 spring onion, thickly sliced
• 1/2 cup of parsley, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan 
• 400 grams of pappardelle pasta (spaghetti or fettucine would also be suitable) 
• 1 cup of frozen peas
• olive oil for cooking

Prepare your vegetables first, as the rest of the meal doesn't take long to cook and assemble. 

Put a good lug of olive oil in a large frying pan, and cook the bacon for 5-8 minutes, stirring on a medium heat till lightly browned. Remove from the fry pan and set aside. 

In the same pan, add another generous lug of olive oil and cook the mushrooms, stirring for 5 minutes, till they are softened and starting to shrink down. The juice from the mushrooms will help you to get any sticky bacon bits from the bottom of the pan. Next add the garlic and at least a teaspoon of cracked pepper and cook for another 2 minutes. Set aside with the bacon. Do not rinse the pan - we'll use it again later. 

Meanwhile boil your pasta in a large pot of heavily salted water - I usually add at least 1 tbsp of salt to the cooking water. For the last four minutes of cooking, add the frozen peas. Before you drain the water, scoop half a cup of the cooking liquid into the fry pan which you cooked the bacon and mushroom. Drain the pasta and peas, then pop them into the frying pan. 

Turn the frying pan onto a medium heat and add the bacon and mushrooms along with the spring onion, cream and beaten egg yolks. Work quickly to toss everything together. After a couple of minutes you'll see it start to thicken. Now remove from the heat and stir through the parsley and parmesan cheese. 

Use tongs to ladle the pasta into serving bowls. Sprinkle with extra parsley and parmesan if desired.