Venison Pie

Photo: flickr user jaycross

Ingredients

3 pounds Venison trimmed, and cut

into bite-sized pieces

2 Onions sliced

(can substitute leeks in similar quantity)

6 lrgs Mushrooms sliced

2 tablespoons Butter to 3 tbspns

4 mediums Potatoes grated

6 lrgs Carrots grated

bot Red Wine

(or enough to cover meat in dish)

4 tablespoons Honey melted

1 bn Fresh tarragon plus extra

for sauteeing

3 Garlic cloves, or to taste plus extra

for sauteeing

1 bn Fresh parsley

(or equivalent dried parsley)

1 bn Fresh marjoram

(or equivalent dried marjoram)

Salt to taste

Freshly-ground black pepper to taste

cup Olive oil

6 cups Flour

2 teaspoons Salt

2 cups Shortening

Ice cold water as needed

1 Beaten egg to brush crusts

Preparation

Marinate venison in marinade ingredients. Meat should be marinated for a day or so in the refrigerator.

Prepare pie crusts: Combine flour, salt, 2 'generous' cups shortening and "ice cold water" as needed. Mix until dough sticks together, stir in water with fork. Divide dough into 4 equal balls. Chill the dough and rolling pin.

Saute meat with onions and reserve juice from marinade. Add mushrooms, saute using butter. Add some marinade to saute. Add some more garlic and tarragon to saute pan.

While meat is sauteeing, grate potatoes and carrots. Leaving saute juice in pan, slice venison thinly and mix meat, onions et al with the grated vegetables. Make a gravy with flour and the juices in pan.

Roll out crusts to about 1/4-inch thickness, place in two 12-inch pans, fill with ingredients, add gravy and top crust. Brush the top crusts with whipped egg and bake until done.

This recipe yields two 12-inch pies.

Comments: If there is leftover venison and dough, make meat pasties from them. These freeze well too!