Fiery Cottage Pie

The original recipe used beef mince but we substituted for venison mince for a healthier version!

Recipe from BBC Food website

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Ingredients

For the pie filling

 2 tbsp olive oil
100g/3½oz bacon lardons
1 brown onion, chopped
400g/14oz venison mince
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
60g/2¼oz soft apricots, chopped
1 litre/1¾ pint beef or chicken stock
2 tsp rose harissa
½ tsp toasted coriander seeds
½ tsp toasted cumin seeds
pinch dried red chilli flakes
handful chopped fresh parsley and coriander
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the mash

 5 large Maris Piper or Russet potatoes, sliced into 2cm/¾in rounds
150ml/¼ pint double cream
100g/3½oz salted butter
1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
1 green chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
small handful chopped fresh parsley and coriander
¼ lemon, juice only

Fiery Venison Cottage Pie

Method

1.      To make the pie filling, place a large pan over a medium heat and add the oil. Add the bacon and fry until golden

2.      Add in the onions and cook until caramelised, this takes 10 minutes.

3.      Add the venison, then add all the other ingredients except the herbs. Leave to cook for 30 minutes or until reduced to a thick gravy consistency.

4.      Taste and season to your liking with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir through the herbs then pour into an ovenproof dish.

5.      Meanwhile, to make the mash, put the potatoes in a large saucepan of cold salted water. Place over a high heat and, once they come to the boil, boil for 15–20 minutes until soft and falling off the end of a knife.

6.      Drain the potatoes into a sieve, then place the sieve over the empty pan and put a tea towel over to allow them to steam dry.

7.      After about 5 minutes, push the potatoes through the sieve with the back of a spatula for smooth delicious mash. Alternatively, you can use a ricer. You could also use a potato masher, but there may be a few lumps lingering!

8.      Warm the cream in a saucepan over a low heat then add to the cooked potatoes along with the butter. Mix to form a delicious soft mash. Stir through the chopped chilli and herbs, then add the mash on top of your pie filling.

9.      To cook, preheat the oven to 180ºC/200C Fan/Gas 4. Bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes until golden.

Bangladeshi Venison Curry

Delicious, quick and easy curry – one of Kate & Guy’s favourites. We tend to use 2 x 500g Diced Venison shoulder and double all other ingredients to feed a hungry/ greedy family of 5, with left overs.

 Download a printable version here

Ingredients

350g diced venison shoulder
1 onion
1 dessertspoon garlic-ginger paste
1 heaped teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 tin tomatoes
1/2 pint of water
salt and pepper

Method 

Heat the cooking oil in a casserole dish with a lid on medium heat. 
Fry the sliced onions until they turn a pale golden colour. 
Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for 1 minute. 
Add the meat and brown, then add the powdered spices 
Add the tomatoes and ½ a pint of water and stir
Cook covered on a low heat on the hob or in a medium oven for 1 ½ to 2 hours stirring occasionally 
Add the lime juice to the curry and stir. 
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve .

Taken from:

www.seriouslygoodvenison.co.uk

Braised pig’s cheeks with caramelised leeks

A perfect warming casserole for cold winter evenings. Thanks to Delicious Magazine for this recipe.

Download a printable version here.

Ingredients

·        12 pig’s cheeks

·        2 tbsp plain flour, seasoned with salt and black pepper

·        4 tbsp olive oil

·        2 large onions, finely sliced

·        2 leeks, finely chopped

·        Knob of unsalted butter

·        5 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves stripped

·        1 bay leaf

·        1 tbsp runny honey

·        200ml white wine

·        200ml chicken stock

·        1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

·        100ml double cream

 

Method

1.      Dust the pig’s cheeks in the seasoned flour. Heat half the oil in a large, heavy-based casserole with a tight-fitting lid. Add the pig’s cheeks and cook over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes each side until browned. Remove and set aside.

2.      Gently fry the onion and leek in the remaining oil and the butter for 20 minutes until soft. Add the herbs and honey and cook over a medium heat until the veg is sticky and golden brown. Return the meat. Pour in the wine and stock. Season and bring to a boil. Cover with the lid. Simmer over a low heat for 2½ hours until tender.

3.      Remove the cheeks, set aside and keep warm. Bring the sauce to the boil, add the mustard and cream and bubble for 5-10 minutes until you have a rich, golden sauce. Return the pig’s cheeks to the casserole to warm through, then serve immediately.

Guy’s Tip

We make this in a slow cooker, perfect winter evening warmer.  Guy browned the pigs cheeks as in the recipe and place in the slow cooker. Fry the onions and leeks with the honey until golden and sticky and add to the slow cooker with the remaining ingredients except for the mustard and cream, cover with the lid and cook on the low setting for 5 hours until tender. Stir in the mustard and cream before serving.

Glazed honey & mustard sausages

This is always a Tudge favourite at Christmas time once we’ve despatched all the hams, turkeys and sausages off to our customers!

Recipe from Good Food magazine, December 2001

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Ingredients

• ·         2 tbsp sunflower oil

• ·         48 cocktail sausages

• ·         separated if linked

• ·         3 tbsp clear honey

• ·         3 tbsp wholegrain or Dijon mustard

• ·         ketchup and mustard to serve

Method

1.      Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6/fan oven 180C. Pour the oil into a large roasting tin and heat in the oven for 3-4 minutes. Tip the sausages into the roasting tin and toss to lightly coat in the oil. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until browned and cooked through.

2.      Drain the sausages well on kitchen paper, then tip them into a clean roasting tin. Blend the honey and mustard together in a small bowl, pour over the sausages and stir and shake them so they become coated. Return to the oven for 5 minutes, turning them over halfway. Serve hot or warm, with cocktail sticks and little pots of ketchup and mustard for dipping.

 3.      Prepare ahead: you can roast the sausages the day before, cool them on kitchen paper and then just keep them in a plastic container in the fridge overnight. Toss in the honey and mustard mix and reheat for 10-12 minutes in the oven before serving.

Mary Berry’s Venison Cottage Pie

Ingredients

2 tbsp oil, for frying
6 rashers smoked streaky bacon, chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
2 sprigs rosemary, leaves picked and chopped
600g/1lb 5oz venison mince
1 heaped tbsp plain flour
300ml/10fl oz red wine
500ml/18fl oz beef or game stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the topping
1kg/2lb 4oz potatoes, chopped into 2cm/¾in cubes
knob of butter
splash milk

Method

Heat the oil in a large deep, lidded casserole or a heavy-based saucepan set over a high heat. Add the bacon and fry until crisp. Remove and set aside. Add the onion, carrot and rosemary and fry for a few minutes until softened. Add the mince and stir until golden-brown, breaking it up while stirring. Sprinkle in the flour and cook for a minute, stirring. Gradually add the wine, and, stirring all the time, boil for a few minutes until the volume of liquid has reduced by half. Add the stock and the cooked bacon, bring to the boil and season with salt and pepper, stirring for 5 minutes. Cover and simmer for about 40 minutes or until tender. Preheat the oven 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Spoon the mince into a 3 litre/5 pint ovenproof dish. Set aside to cool. Topping To make the topping, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Boil the potatoes until tender. Drain and return to the pan. Add the butter and milk. Season with salt and pepper and mash until smooth. Spoon the mash on top of the cold mince, level the top and mark with a fork. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden-brown and bubbling.

Recipe Tips from Kate Tudge

Personally I think this needs slightly more potato on the top. 5 hungry Tudges ate this in one serving, with a tiny bowl of left overs – and I used 1kg mince and scaled other ingredients up!

Download a printable version here

Venison Bolognese

A rich and silky-smooth Italian bolognese, best served with bucatini – a long, hollow pasta – to soak up all the sauce.

By Matt Tebbutt

From Saturday Kitchen

Download and print the recipe

Ingredients

For the bolognese

• 1 onion, peeled and halved
• 1 carrot, peeled
• 2 celery sticks
• 4 garlic cloves
• 6–8 dried porcini mushrooms, rehydrated in boiling water then drained and chopped
• 2–3 Parmesan rinds
• small bunch fresh thyme
• 2 juniper berries, crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• 800g/1lb 12oz minced venison
• 3 tbsp tomato purée
• 400ml–500ml/14–18fl oz whole milk, enough to almost cover
• 50g/1¾oz unsalted butter
• freshly grated nutmeg

To serve

• 500g/1lb 2oz dried bucatini pasta
• 100g/3½oz Parmesan, grated

Method

1. To make the bolognese, add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic and porcini to a food processor and blend together.

2. Place a pan over a medium-low heat then add the blended vegetables along with the Parmesan rinds, thyme, juniper and bay. Sweat for 20 minutes to soften.

3. Add the venison and mix well, breaking up with a wooden spoon.

4. Add the tomato purée and cook out, for 2 minutes, then pour in the milk to almost cover. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer gently for 1 hour 30 minutes until tender.

5. Stir the butter into the bolognese and grate over a little nutmeg just before serving.

6. When ready to serve, cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, drain and toss through the finished bolognese. Serve into bowls and grate generous amounts of Parmesan over the top.

Red Pork Curry with Green Beans

By Mary Cadogan

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Ingredients

250g green bean, trimmed
1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 tsp red Thai curry paste
1 tbsp finely chopped root ginger
500g pork fillet, thinly sliced
300ml vegetable stock
2 tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)
1 tsp light muscovado sugar
400ml can coconut milk
400g can palm hearts, drained, rinsed and sliced
1large lime, grated zest and juice
a handful each of basil and coriander leaves

Method

1.     Cook the beans in boiling salted water for 5 minutes, then drain and refresh under cold running water.

 2.     Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the curry paste and ginger and fry gently until the oil separates out. Tip in the pork and stock, bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 minutes.

 3.     Add the fish sauce, sugar, coconut milk, palm hearts, lime zest and juice and simmer for a further 5 minutes, adding the beans halfway through. Throw in the basil and coriander and serve with rice noodles.

Red Pork Curry with Green Beans

Crispy Pork Tacos

I'm sure like us you are looking what left overs there are in the fridge and googling recipes. Here is one that Chris and Charlotte found as a great way to use up left over roast Pork - thanks Jamie Oliver.....

Download a printable version of the recipe here

Ingredients
1 green pepper
1 large red onion
1 fresh green chilli
1 pinch of ground cloves
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
leftover pork dripping , optional
olive oil
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
2 x 400 g tins of black beans
300 g leftover cooked higher-welfare pork
leftover pork crackling , optional
1 level teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
12 taco shells
½ an iceberg lettuce
6 tablespoons fat-free natural yoghurt

Method

1. Deseed the pepper and peel the onion. Finely slice the pepper and half the onion, ideally in a food processor or on a mandolin (use the guard!), or by hand using good knife skills. Very finely slice the chilli by hand, then tip all these into a bowl with the cloves, vinegar and a really good pinch of salt. Gently scrunch together to make a pickle and leave to one side.

2. Finely chop the remaining onion half and put it into a medium pan on a medium-low heat, ideally with a spoonful of leftover pork dripping, or a lug of oil, and the Cajun seasoning.

3. Fry for 8 to 10 minutes, or until sweet and lightly golden, stirring occasionally, then tip in the beans (juice and all).

4. Bring to the boil, mash slightly, then season to perfection and leave on a low heat to simmer gently and thicken for a few minutes, but don’t let them dry out.

5. Meanwhile, cut the pork and any leftover crackling (if using) into 1cm dice and put into a medium frying pan on a medium heat with a splash of oil. Sprinkle with the paprika and fry for 5 to 8 minutes, or until dark and gnarly.

6. Warm the tacos according to packet instructions, and shred the lettuce.

7. When you’re ready to go, load up the tacos with the shredded lettuce, black beans and the crispy pork and crackling. Squeeze the onion and pepper pickle to get rid of the excess salty liquid, then add a little handful to each taco, top with a dollop of yoghurt and tuck in.