The British Larder, Suffolk, Recipe Card, Venison

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THE BRITISH LARDER RECIPE

VENISON SHANK AND CHESTNUT MUSHROOM SUET PUDDING Serves 6

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VENISON AND MUSHROOM FILLING • 700g venison shank (one large shank would be enough) • 50g plain flour • 2tbs sunflower oil • 2 carrots • 1/2 leek • 1 onion, peeled • 2 stocks of celery • 30g tomato puree • 3 in number juniper berries, crushed • 1 clove of garlic crushed • 1/2 tsp sugar • 160ml Port Wine

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1L chicken stock Sprig of rosemary 2 bay leaves 150g chestnut mushrooms cut in quarters 30g unsalted butter Salt and freshly cracked black pepper 1tbs chopped continental parsley 1tbs chopped chives 1tsp sherry vinegar 1kg Suet Pastry (www.britishlarder.co.uk)

METHOD Preheat the oven to 160°C. Pat the venison shank dry with kitchen paper, coat the shank in seasoned flour.

Heat some oil in a large oven safe casserole dish and sauté the shank until golden brown all over, remove from the casserole dish, set aside and return the casserole dish to the heat.

Cut the leek, onion, celery and carrots the same size and sauté in the dish until golden brown, add the tomato puree, the remaining flour, sugar, crushed coriander and juniper berries. Cook for 5 minutes over a low heat, deglaze the dish with the Port wine and cook until the Port is absorbed by the vegetables and becomes thick and sticky.

Return the venison shank to the dish, adding the stock, rosemary and bay leaf, cover with a lid and bring the stock to the boil.

Then place the covered dish in a preheated oven for 2 ½ hours.

Once cooked, remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the meat, set aside and pass the sauce through a fine sieve into a small saucepan.

Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and reduce until thickened. Remove the bone and sinew and flake the cooked venison meat.

Heat a frying pan with butter and sauté the seasoned chestnut mushrooms until golden brown, then transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the flaked venison shank (about 350g), 200ml of the reduced sauce, the sherry vinegar, the chopped parsley and chives, and mix well. Set aside to cool.

Lightly grease six 5cm high x 7.5cm wide pudding basins with sunflower oil.

On a lightly floured work surface roll the pastry 3 - 4mm thick and line the pudding basins with the suet pastry.

Fill each dish with 110g of well mixed pie filling, dividing the liquid evenly. Dampen the rim with cold water and cover each pudding with a suet pastry lid, crimp and make a large steam hole in the centre of the lid with a metal skewer.

Steam the puddings for 1 hour then turn the puddings out onto warm serving plates.

Bring the sauce back to the boil and spoon a generous amount of sauce over each pudding. Serve with cooked green beans.