Venison pie (pictured above)
Prep 20 min
Cook 4 hr
Serves 4
2 tbsp dripping or olive oil
600–700g venison shoulder, cut into large cubes
Salt and black pepper
1 large onion, peeled and sliced
200g chestnut mushrooms, halved
4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
4 bay leaves
4 juniper berries
2 sprigs rosemary
4 sprigs thyme
2 tbsp flour
750ml beef, chicken or vegetable stock
1 egg, beaten
For the rough puff pastry
175g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes
350g plain flour
Pinch of salt
Iced water
1 egg, beaten, for egg wash
To make the pastry, combine the butter, flour and salt, then add just enough water to bring it together into a dough. Form into a rectangular shape with your hands and on a well-floured surface, roll out in one direction, away from you, so you have a rectangle about one centimetre thick. Fold the two short ends into the middle so they overlap. Give the pastry a quarter turn, and repeat the rolling-and-folding process five more times. Wrap the pastry in clingfilm, then rest it in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.
Heat the oven to 190C (170C fan)/375F/gas 5. Put a heavy-based casserole over a high heat. Add half the dripping. When hot, add the venison (you might need to do this in batches). Season well. Avoid shaking the pan too much at this point: you want the meat to begin to caramelise on the outside, so let it sizzle for several minutes before turning. When golden, transfer the meat to a plate.
Add the remaining dripping to the pot, then the onion, mushrooms, garlic, bay, juniper, rosemary and thyme, and seasoning. Cook, stirring regularly, for 10-12 minutes, or until the onions are soft and the mushrooms have given up their juices. Return the venison to the casserole, turn down the heat, and stir in the flour. Cook for two to three minutes, pour in the stock, and bring to a simmer. Put in the oven with the lid ajar for two and a half to three hours, until the meat is tender and the sauce thickened. Let it cool.
Cut the pastry into two pieces of two-thirds and one-third. Roll out the larger piece and line a lightly greased pie dish (about 1.2 litres). Don’t worry if you have some overhang, this gets trimmed off. Spoon in the venison and pan juices, but remove the bay leaves and herb stalks. Roll out the small piece of pastry to form a lid. Brush the edges of the pastry base with some egg wash, lay on the lid and crimp together the edges. Trim away excess pastry. Brush with more egg, and cut a vent in the centre of the pie. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until golden brown. Leave to cool for 15 minutes, then serve with mash, greens and English mustard.
Lamb, barley and kale broth
Prep 1 hr
Cook 3 hr 30 min
Serves 4
2 lamb or mutton or mutton shanks
1 onion, peeled and halved
2 large carrots, peeled but left whole
2 sticks of celery, halved
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 bay leaves
6–8 sprigs thyme
1 sprig rosemary
75g pearl barley, soaked for an hour and rinsed
1 small bunch kale, stripped from its stalk and roughly chopped
½ small bunch of parsley, chopped
Salt and black pepper
Put everything except the barley, kale and parsley in a large casserole pot. Cover with a litre and a half of water, and put on the heat. When it has come to a gentle boil, turn the heat right down to a simmer and put a lid on the pan, leaving it slightly ajar. Cook for two to three hours, or until the meat is falling away from the bone. Lift all the meat and vegetables from the cooking liquor on to a large plate to cool.
Pass the stock through a sieve into a clean pan and skim off any excess fat. Put the pan on the heat and add the soaked barley. Bring to a simmer and cook for 25–30 minutes. Add the kale and cook for a few more minutes, or until tender.
Meanwhile, cut the cooked carrots, celery and onion into small chunks. Shred the mutton meat from the bone. Return the meat and vegetables to the broth, add the parsley, and season well to taste. Ladle into warm bowls and serve at once.
Chicken with white beans, rosemary, garlic and sage
Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hr 10 min
Serves 3
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
Zest from ½ lemon
2 sprigs rosemary
Salt and black pepper
2 tins butter beans or haricot beans, drained and rinsed
300ml chicken or vegetable stock
6 chicken thighs
½ bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
3-4 sprigs sage, leaves picked and chopped
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Put a large casserole or roasting dish over a medium heat. Add the oil, then the onions, and cook, stirring regularly, until they are beginning to soften, about eight to 10 minutes.
Add the garlic, lemon zest and rosemary, and season well. Cook for two to three minutes, then add the drained beans and stock.
Season the chicken thighs and place them in one layer, skin side up, in the casserole. Bring to a gentle simmer and transfer to the oven for 45–50 minutes. If the beans start to look a little dry, top up with a splash of fresh water.
Remove from the oven and lift the chicken out on to a plate. With a potato masher, bash the beans a little so they begin to take up the stock and juices. Stir in the parsley and sage, and check the seasoning.
Return the chicken to the casserole and bring to the table. Serve with a dressed green salad.
Beef stew and stilton dumplings
Prep 20 min
Cook 4 hr
Serves 6-8
For the stew
2 tbsp beef dripping or extra-virgin olive oil
2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
2 celery sticks, thinly sliced
2 carrots, peeled, halved and thickly sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
2 bay leaves
4 thyme sprigs
200g pancetta or bacon, cut into 3cm pieces or pre-cut lardons
800g shin of beef, trimmed and cut into 4cm pieces
100g plain flour
Salt and black pepper
1 glass red wine
500ml beef stock, chicken stock or water
For the dumplings
250g self-raising flour
Salt and black pepper
125g cold butter
1 small bunch chives, finely chopped
100g mature stilton, coarsely crumbled
Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. Heat half the dripping or oil in a casserole over a medium flame, then add the onions, celery, carrots, garlic, bay and thyme. Sweat the vegetables, stirring, for eight to 10 minutes, until soft.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining dripping or oil in a heavy-based frying pan over a medium-high flame. Fry the pancetta or bacon, until the fat renders. Transfer to the casserole, leaving the frying pan on the heat. Toss the beef in seasoned flour, then add to the frying pan in batches, transferring to the casserole as soon as it is well coloured. Stir the casserole contents, then pour in the wine, and enough stock or water to the casserole to cover by two to three centimetres. Season with salt and pepper, bring to a simmer, then transfer to the oven, leaving the lid ajar, and cook for two and a half to three hours, until the meat is very tender.
Shortly before the beef is ready, make the dumplings. Put the flour in a bowl, season, then grate in the butter. Rub together to form a breadcrumb texture. Add the chives and stilton, and just enough cold water to bring the dough together. Using your hands, form the mixture into 10 round dumplings. Take the stew from the oven and remove the lid. Arrange the dumplings evenly over the stew, replace the lid fully, and return to the oven. Cook for 20 minutes, then remove the lid and cook for a further 10-15 minutes, until the dumplings have taken on a little colour. Serve.
