60 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2017
Venison
Cottage Pie
By Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
An English/Irish favorite
made with wild game.
W
ho doesn't love a good
meat pie? This one is as
easy as it gets. There's no
rolling out dough to speak
of – no pastry to make.
There's meat, potatoes, and gravy,
and it doesn't have to look perfect.
The more "rustic," the better.
Servings: 4-6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour 20
minutes
Ingredients:
•
3 large russet potatoes, peeled
•
½ cup milk
•
2 tablespoons butter
•
2 ounces extra sharp white
cheddar, plus more
•
1 tablespoon oil
•
1½ pounds ground venison
•
1 large onion, chopped
•
1 teaspoon chopped fresh
thyme
•
4 cloves garlic, minced
•
1 tablespoon tomato paste
•
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
•
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
•
½ cup dry red wine
•
1 bay leaf
•
2 cups beef broth
•
¾ teaspoon salt
•
¼ teaspoon freshly cracked
pepper
•
½ teaspoon celery seed
•
Frozen peas and carrots, to taste
•
Fresh parsley for garnish
1. Cut peeled potatoes into large
chunks and place into a pot. Cover
with water, add a couple pinches
of salt and cook until tender. Drain
potatoes, return to the pot and mash
with milk and butter. Shred/grate
cheese and mix into the potatoes.
Season to taste and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a wide-bottomed pot
over medium heat. Add chopped
onion and a
pinch of salt and cook until browned,
but do not burn – lower heat if
necessary. Add thyme, garlic and
tomato paste. Stir for 1 minute.
3. Turn heat up to medium-
high and add ground venison.
Brown meat and then add flour.
Thoroughly combine the flour into
the meat-onion mixture and cook
for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Next, add wine and stir frequently
until wine evaporates; lower heat if
necessary.
4. Add beef broth and bay leaf.
Simmer for 20-30 minutes, or
until liquid turns into a thick
gravy, stirring occasionally. Add
Worcestershire sauce, celery seed,
salt and pepper. Take off heat and stir
in frozen peas and carrots. Discard
bay leaf.
5. Pour meat into an 8x8-inch
baking dish. Spread mashed potatoes
over the top and sprinkle with more
shredded cheddar. Place pie onto
the top rack of your oven and
broil until mashed potato topping
becomes golden. (Place a cookie
sheet underneath the baking dish to
catch any liquid that might bubble
over.) Scoop out meat pie onto
serving plates and garnish with fresh
parsley. ■
This recipe
and photograph
originally appeared
on Jenny's Food
for Hunters blog at
foodforhunters.com.