A true celebration of luxurious flavours, this venison pie is complete with an indulgent chocolate and blackcurrant sauce. Serve with creamy mustard mash and seasonal veggies for a show-stopping dish that is memorable in all the best ways. 

Venison Pie 

Ingredients

• 2½ tbsp sunflower oil
• 1kg diced venison
• 100g smoked bacon lardons, pancetta, or chopped smoked streaky bacon
• 2 onions, roughly chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 200g chestnut mushrooms
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 150ml red wine or dark ale
• 750g Essential Cuisine Signature veal stock reduction
• 20g Essential Cuisine game glace 
• 4  Pidy wholemeal pastry cases, 11cm
• 150g thinly sliced potatoes 
• 50g salted butter

Method

1. Heat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/gas 3. Heat half the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish. Brown the venison well in batches for 10 mins over high heat, then set aside.
2. Scatter the bacon into the pan with another ½ tbsp oil and sizzle for 8-10 mins until golden.
3. Stir through the onions and bay leaves, drizzling with the remaining oil, and cook over low heat for 5 minutes until browned.
4. Lower the heat to medium, then add the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes more until softened.
5. Scatter over the flour, stirring until the flour turns brown. Tip the meat and any juices back into the pan along with the ketchup, Essential Cuisine Signature veal stock reduction and Essential Cuisine game glace and give it all a good stir. Pour over the wine or ale and bring to the boil. Bubble for a few minutes.
6. Cover with a lid and put in the oven for about 2 hrs until the meat is tender. Leave to cool completely.
7. To make the potato topping, brush the potatoes with butter, season and place in the oven until tender and browning on the edges. 
8. To make the pie, drop the heat of the oven to 150°C.
9. Spoon the venison filling into the Pidy wholemeal pastry cases.
10. Crumble some blue cheese onto the top of the filling.
11. Place the potatoes on top of the filling and place in the oven for about 20 minutes until golden brown.
12. Serve while hot.

Chocolate and blackcurrant sauce 

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp oil
• 500g Essential Cuisine Signature red wine jus
• 10g deZaan carbon black cocoa powder
• 25g Grandes Distilleries Peureux blackcurrants in blackcurrant creme de cassis
• 20g Salted butter
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method 

1. Reduce the Essential Cuisine red wine jus by half, and add the deZaan carbon black cocoa powder and 20g of salted butter.
2. Add the Grandes Distilleries Peureux blackcurrants, season to taste and serve. 

Assembly 

Spread the hot mash on the plate and place the vegetables before adding the finished pie to the plate. Serve with a jug of the sauce.