Cookbook:Venison Pie

Ingredients

 * Olive oil (extra virgin if possible)
 * 2 red onions, peeled and finely chopped
 * 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
 * 1 parsnip, peeled and sliced
 * 1–2 carrots, peeled and sliced
 * 1 kg diced venison, rinsed and dried
 * 100 g plain flour
 * 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
 * 2 tablespoons redcurrant jam
 * Fresh parsley
 * Fresh thyme
 * Fresh rosemary
 * Black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
 * 1 pinch salt
 * Puff pastry
 * 20 ml milk

Equipment

 * 1 casserole dish, with lid
 * 1 frying pan, lid optional
 * 1 spatula
 * 1 large serving spoon
 * Some sharp knives
 * Chopping board
 * Kitchen towel paper
 * Glazing/pastry brush
 * Oven
 * Stovetop

Procedure

 * 1) Bring the frying pan up to a medium heat (about 50% to 60%) and add about two tablespoons of olive oil. There should be enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan when you swirl it.
 * 2) Add the onion, and fry until soft and translucent. Add in the garlic at around this time to soften up as well. Stir in the sliced parsnip and carrots using your spatula. Once all the vegetables are nice and soft, pour them into the casserole dish.
 * 3) Add some more olive oil to your now empty frying pan, and bring it up to a medium-high heat (think about 70–80% of max). Then, take each piece of venison and coat it lightly in the plain flour, before putting it in the frying pan. Once all the pieces are cooking away, move them around using your spatula to get them evenly cooked. You're only trying to cook the outer edges of the meat (searing it), so don't fry them for more than 5–10 minutes.
 * 4) Transfer the venison, including any cooking juices, into the casserole dish.
 * 5) Add the ginger and red currant jam to the casserole dish, and pour in some boiling water in order to fill the dish to just below the top of the contents. Give it a stir with your spoon. Finely chop a reasonable amount of the herbs, add them into the casserole dish, and give it all another stir. Add some black pepper and a pinch of salt, then cover with the lid.
 * 6) Bake in the oven at about 180°C for about an hour. After that, check it, give it a stir and check to see if the venison is cooked through. If it isn't, put it back in the oven for longer, checking every 10 mins or so. Once you're happy it's cooked, remove the lid from the casserole dish.
 * 7) Make sure the puff pastry is rolled out about as thick as a £1 or 1 euro coin. Drape the puff pastry over the dish, covering your cooked pie innards. Trim the excess pastry off with a knife, and make some pretty decoration on the top of the pie if you want to. Make sure to pierce the pastry in 2 or 3 places to allow steam to escape.
 * 8) Brush the pastry with milk. Turn the oven up to 200°C then put the pie back in for a further 20 minutes, or until the pastry has risen and turned a golden brown.
 * 9) Serve.