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As Easy as Pie

Aldalene
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I am a city girl. I grew up in Cape Town, South Africa in a non-hunting family. I have never tasted venison until I married Janneman, moved to the family ranch and it became part of our daily diet. I had to call my mother-in-law to ask her how to cook the unfamiliar meat in my freezer. Yes, I was clueless! But what a delightful introduction. Over the past 20 years, I have come to love cooking with venison and it has become the king of meats in my Kalahari kitchen.

Knowing where your meat comes from is so necessary these days. Venison is the healthiest of all meats. Venison is low in fat and an extremely good source of protein. It has twice as much iron as beef and lamb, is easily digested and is full of essential omega 3 fatty acids. Venison is often maligned for being extremely lean, and therefore dry. I believe that, with proper preparation and cooking methods, venison can be lifted to glorious heights.

Simplicity doesn’t change who you are, it brings you back to who you are.

Oscar Wilde

A delicious way to make the most of your venison meat in season, is to make a homemade pie. So easy to prepare ( easy as pie!), it freezes perfectly, this venison and mushroom pie will fast become a family favourite. Ideal for using up all the leftover venison cuts in your freezer, these individual deep pot pies are creamy, comforting and full of flavour.

This is really a beautiful venison pie and the kind of dish that makes me dream of good home cooking. The venison will cook to be delicious, tender and sumptuous. When topped with flaky puff pastry, what can be better on a spring ( or fall) afternoon. After all these years of cooking, a meal like this still gets my pulse racing, yes, even as a former city girl. Recipe on next page.

Tasty Creamy Venison Pot Pie

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 T (30ml) White Vinegar
  • 3 Cups (750ml) of Beef Stock
  • 2 Pounds of Venison Meat on the bone ( neck, shank bones work best)
  • 3 Whole Cloves
  • 1T (15ml) Black Pepper Corns
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • Splash of Olive Oil
  • 1/2 pound of Bacon, chopped (optional)
  • 2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 1 Medium Onion, chopped
  • 3 Garlic cloves, chopped
  • 8 Ounces of Fresh Mushrooms
  • Salt and freshly Ground Pepper, to taste
  • 5T of Cream of Mushroom Dry Soup Mix
  • 1 Cup (250ml) Whole Milk or Cream
  • Dash of Tabasco
  • 2 Rolls Ready-made Puff Pastry
  • 1 Egg, beaten

When you line the bottom of the pie dish – just make sure you cook it at the bottom of the oven so the pastry has a chance to crisp up.

I use individual pottery pots for my pie. You can use a large pie dish if you prefer one beautifully baked pie.

Then serve it with a fresh salad and home baked bread.

Simple yet tasty and delicious

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Pour the beef stock and vinegar in a pressure cooker pot and add the venison bone cuts
  2. Add whole cloves, peppercorns and bay leaves
  1. Close securely and bring to boil. Simmer for an hour until the meat falls of the bone.
  2. Remove from heat and allow to cool
  3. When cool, remove meat from the stock mixture and pull meat from the bone using two forks.
  4. Pour 1 cup of the stock mixture of the meat to moisten it. Set aside.
  5. Gently heat the Olive Oil in in a large heavy based pot.
  6. Fry the onion, garlic and mushrooms till cooked
  7. Add the bacon (if using) and fry for another 5 minutes.
  8. Add the ‘pulled” meat to onion mixture and heat through.
  9. Mix Mushroom Dry Soup mix with the milk (or cream) and add to the meat mixture.
  10. Bring to slow simmer and let mixture thicken till desired consistency. Add more cream if you like a creamier mixture.
  11. Add a dash of Tabasco and let to cool
  12. Butter a large square casserole dish or 8 individual clay pots.
  13. Roll open the thawed pastry and line the bottom of the casserole dish or the individual clay pots.
  14. Fill the dish with the cooled meat mixture and flatten slightly.
  15. Place the second pastry sheet over the dish, trim the sides and pinch the bottom and top sheet together all around the dish.
  16. With a sharp knife, pierce the pastry in a couple of places.
  17. Brush the pastry with the egg to glaze.
  18. Bake the pie for 40 minutes in a oven preheated to 200C/400F until pastry is cooked.and golden
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