Venison And Wild Mushroom Pie Food

VENISON AND WILD MUSHROOM PIE

Steps:

• Marinate the venison in the wine, carrots, onion, bay leaf and juniper for 24 hours.
• Preheat oven to 180C/gas mark 4 Remove the meat from the marinade (reserve the marinade). Melt the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, add the drained venison and gently brown. Add the sliced onion, thyme and sugar, reduce the heat and continue to cook slowly until the onion pieces are soft.
• Add the flour and tomato paste and cook for a couple of minutes. Next add the reserved marinade and stir while slowly adding the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer until the venison is cooked and falling apart, and the sauce is well reduced - 20-25 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and check the seasoning.
• Place the venison mixture in the bottom of the pie dish and allow it to cool. Then top it with the puff pastry, cutting off the excess to leave a 1cm overhang. (A pair of skewers inserted crossways into the pastry will keep it from sagging.) Brush with the egg yolk and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden and the filling is hot. Serve with braised red cabbage and winter salad leaves.

VENISON & WILD MUSHROOM WELLINGTON

Steps:

• Heat half the oil in a frying pan and quickly seal the venison for about 2 mins on each side until browned. Remove the meat from the pan, brush all over with the mustard and leave to cool.
• Mince the mushrooms in a food processor. Place the pan back on the heat with the rest of the oil and add the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and fry over a high heat for 5 mins until the excess moisture has evaporated and you have a thick paste. Season, transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and leave to cool.
• Lay 2-3 large sheets of cling film overlapping each other on a clean surface. Lay the slices of prosciutto overlapping lengthways in 2 rows of 3. Sit one of the pieces of venison in the middle of the prosciutto. Press the mushrooms over the venison and sandwich with the other piece of venison. Roll into a tight package (see step-by-step images above) and leave to chill in the fridge.
• Lay out another couple of pieces of cling film. Trim the pancakes into squares and lay them overlapping on the cling film. Remove the cling film from the prosciuttowrapped meat and place the meat on top of the pancakes. Roll up tightly again in cling film, then place in the fridge to hold its shape.
• Roll the pastry out to a large rectangle big enough to easily wrap the meat in, then brush all over with egg yolk. Unwrap the cling film from the pancake-wrapped venison and roll to completely encase in the pastry. Tuck the ends in and trim any excess. Lay out more cling film and finally roll into a tight package to get an evenly thick log. Tie the ends of cling film to keep the package tight and leave in the fridge overnight or in the freezer for an hour. Can be made to this point up to a day in advance.
• When ready to cook, heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Remove the cling film and brush the Wellington all over with egg yolk. Sit it on a baking tray lined with baking paper and lightly score in a feathered fashion. Bake for 50 mins for medium rare, dropping to 200C/180C fan/ gas 7 if the pastry becomes too brown. Remove from the oven to rest for 20 mins. If you prefer the meat well done, turn oven off after 40 mins and leave to rest inside. Trim the end of the pastry, carefully carve in slices about 3-4cm thick and serve.
• To make the pancakes for the wellingtons, tip 100g plain flour into a bowl. Beat 1 egg with 250ml milk and gradually whisk into the flour until smooth. Stir in some snipped chives and a handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley just before cooking, then heat a drop of oil in a large non-stick frying pan and swirl around some of the batter to make a thin pancake. When the pancake is done, make another 3 and set aside. The pancakes can be made two days in advance.
• For a creamy mash, chunk 1kg floury potatoes. Place in a pan of cold salted water and bring to the boil. Simmer for about 15 mins until completely tender, then drain and return to the pan over a low heat for a few mins to dry out. Press the potatoes through a ricer and gradually add 150ml warm double cream and 50g butter. Season to taste and serve, or leave to cool and reheat in a pan or microwave with a touch more cream and butter. The mash can be made a day in advance.
• For the carrots, peel and trim 24 baby carrots (a mix of white and orange if you can find them) but keep them whole. Boil for 2-3 mins in salted water until just tender, then drain. Heat a large knob of butter in a frying pan and sizzle the carrots for 8-10 mins until golden. Serve the carrots or cool and reheat in a pan with a touch more butter or in the microwave. The carrots can be made a day in advance.
• To make a delicious port sauce, sweat 1 finely chopped shallot in a little butter with a thyme sprig. Pour in 300ml port and reduce by two-thirds, then add 600ml fresh chicken stock and reduce again by two-thirds until syrupy. Strain into another saucepan ready to be reheated. The sauce can be made two days in advance and reheated in the saucepan, adding a splash more stock if too thick.

ARTICHOKE & WILD MUSHROOM PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Heat half the oil in a medium frying pan, then gently fry the onions for 12-15 mins until softened and lightly browned. Tip the onions into a bowl and mix with the artichoke hearts, season if you like and set aside. Heat the remaining oil in the same pan (there's no need to clean it) over a high-ish heat. Add the mushrooms, then stir-fry for 2-3 mins until soft, throw in the garlic and thyme and continue to cook for a minute. Remove from the heat, season well and allow to cool.
• On a floured surface, roll out the pastry into a rough circle about 40cm in diameter and drape over a large baking sheet.
• Pile the onions and artichokes into the middle of the pastry and spread them out evenly, leaving a 10cm border around the edge, then pile the mushrooms on top.
• Bring the edges of the pastry up over the filling. Brush the exposed pastry edge with the egg glaze. Bake for 20-25 mins until the pastry is crisp and golden brown. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately with the sour cream and relish.

VENISON STEAKS WITH WILD MUSHROOM SAUCE

Steps:

• Soak the dried mushrooms in 100ml hot water for 10 mins until soft, then drain, reserving the liquid, roughly chop and set aside. Season the steaks with lots of pepper and a little salt. Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan until foaming, then cook the steaks for 2 mins on each side for medium rare or longer to your liking. Remove from the pan and keep warm.
• In the same pan, fry the shallot, then add the drained mushrooms and cook until lightly browned. Splash in the Sherry, then add the porcini liquid, balsamic vinegar and the cream, and simmer down to make a thick, creamy sauce. Put the steaks and their juices back in the pan, spoon over the sauce and serve with mash.

VENISON MEATBALL & WILD MUSHROOM STROGANOFF

Steps:

• Gently cook the onion and garlic in 1 tbsp oil until really soft. Cool for 10 mins, then tip into a big bowl with the finely chopped dill, 1 tbsp of the wholegrain mustard, the venison, breadcrumbs and egg with 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp ground black pepper. Squelch together with your hands, squeezing the mince well to tenderise it as you mix.
• Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan or sauté pan and fry the meatballs in small batches until well browned - add a splash more oil if needed towards the end. Set aside the meatballs in a dish.
• Add the butter to the pan and fry the mushrooms over a very high heat until the juices have evaporated and the mushrooms are turning golden. Lower the heat and stir in the paprika and flour for 1 min.
• Stir in the stock and brandy, and bring to a simmer, scraping up any bits stuck in the pan. Lift out the mushrooms with a slotted spoon to a dish. Boil the sauce for 3 mins, then stir in the remaining 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard, the Dijon mustard, tomato purée and soured cream. Simmer the sauce until it has reduced again and is a good consistency - anything up to 15 mins depending on your pan. Return the meatballs and any juice and simmer gently until they are cooked through. Stir in the mushrooms to warm through, and season to taste, plus a pinch of sugar if needed. Scatter with the remaining dill and eat with buttered tagliatelle, rice or sautéed potatoes.

WILD MUSHROOM PIE

Steps:

• FOR CRUST:
• Mix flour and salt in medium bowl.
• Add butter and rub with fingertips until mixture forms coarse meal.
• Mix in enough water by Tbsp to form moist clumps.
• Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk.
• Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 45 minutes.
• (Can be prepared 2 days ahead; keep refrigerated.) Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 13-inch round.
• Transfer to 9-inch glass pie plate; crimp edges.
• Refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 F.
• Line pie crust with foil.
• Fill with dried beans or pie weights.
• Bake 10 minutes.
• Remove foil and beans.
• Bake until crust is set and begins to color, piercing bottom with fork if puffy, about 15 minutes more. Transfer to rack and cool.
• FOR FILLING: Place porcini in small bowl.
• Add enough hot water to cover.
• Let soak 30 minutes.
• Drain mushrooms.
• Melt butter in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add shallots and garlic and saute 1 minute. Add fresh mushrooms and saute until tender and liquids evaporate, about 5 minutes.
• Add porcini and saute 2 minutes.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Set aside. Whisk eggs, half and half, basil and thyme in medium bowl until blended.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Sprinkle half of cheese on crust. Top with mushroom mixture and remaining cheese. Carefully pour egg mixture over mushrooms.
• Bake until center is set, about 40 minutes.
• Transfer to rack and cool slightly.
• Garnish with parsley.
• Cut into wedges and serve. NOTE: such as crimini, chanterelles and/or stemmed Shiitake, thickly sliced

ARTICHOKE & WILD MUSHROOM PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Heat half the oil in a medium frying pan, then gently fry the onions for 12-15 mins until softened and lightly browned. Tip the onions into a bowl and mix with the artichoke hearts, season if you like and set aside. Heat the remaining oil in the same pan (there's no need to clean it) over a high-ish heat. Add the mushrooms, then stir-fry for 2-3 mins until soft, throw in the garlic and thyme and continue to cook for a minute. Remove from the heat, season well and allow to cool.
• On a floured surface, roll out the pastry into a rough circle about 40cm in diameter and drape over a large baking sheet.
• Pile the onions and artichokes into the middle of the pastry and spread them out evenly, leaving a 10cm border around the edge, then pile the mushrooms on top.
• Bring the edges of the pastry up over the filling. Brush the exposed pastry edge with the egg glaze. Bake for 20-25 mins until the pastry is crisp and golden brown. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately with the sour cream and relish.