16 Nebraskaland • December 2022
Add a couple anchovies into venison pot pie filling for better flavor. JENNY NGUYEN-WHEATLEY, NEBRASKALAND
By Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
VENISON POT PIE
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours and 30 minutes
Ingredients:
•
1 pound of venison stew meat, cut
into 1-inch cubes
•
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed but
cold
•
Salt and freshly cracked pepper
•
4 tbs. all-purpose flour, separated
•
1 pound of baby bella mushrooms,
quartered
•
Cooking oil
•
1 medium onion, chopped
•
1 medium to large carrot, peeled
and large diced
•
2 anchovy filets packed in oil
•
1 tbs. tomato paste
•
3 cloves garlic, minced
•
½ cup pinot noir
•
1¾ cup brown stock
•
1 medium waxy potato, peeled
and large diced
•
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
•
4 sprigs of fresh parsley
•
1 bay leaf
•
½ cup of frozen peas
•
1 egg, beaten
1. Preheat oven to 300° Fahrenheit.
Toss venison cubes with salt, pepper
and 1 tbs. of flour. Over medium-high
heat, heat a splash of oil in a small
enameled Dutch oven and brown
venison cubes in batches. Remove
venison and set aside. Add more oil
and brown mushrooms in batches
with a pinch of salt, and then remove
and set aside.
2. Lower heat to medium and add
onion, carrot and a pinch of salt,
adding more oil as needed. Sauté for
about 5-7 minutes to slightly brown
onion. Add tomato paste, garlic and
anchovy and sauté for about 1 minute.
3. Return venison and mushrooms to
the pot, along with any juices. Add the
remaining 3 tbs. of flour and cook for
about 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Then stir in wine until thickened.
Next, add stock, potatoes, bay leaf,
parsley and thyme. Bring to a boil, and
then cover and transfer to a 300° oven.
4. Braise stew for 2½ to 3 hours, or
until venison becomes tender. Check
halfway through and add more stock
as needed; you want the ending stew
to be thick and saucy, but not dry.
When done, discard bay leaf, thyme
and parsley sprigs. Season to taste.
5. Turn up oven temperature to 425°.
Spray a 9-inch pie dish with cooking
spray. Transfer pie filling into the pie
dish and allow to cool for 30 minutes.
Then stir in frozen peas and cover
with a sheet of puff pastry — trim the
edges as needed. Brush egg on top and
bake in a 425° oven for 30-35 minutes
on the middle rack. Rotate the pie
dish halfway through for more even
browning. Allow pie to rest for at least
10 minutes before serving.
IN THE FIELD
