Pithivier of venison with pine nuts, sultanas, cranberries and five spice
Slow cooked venison with warming flavours and perfect pastry
Ingredients
- 900 grams venison breast or neck on the bone
- 1 ltr venison or dark chicken stock
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 red chilli deseeded and chopped
- 60 grams pine nuts
- 70 grams dried fruit (sultanas, cranberries)
- 1.5 tsp five spice
- 2 sheets pre rolled puff pastry
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Slowly bring the stock to the boil. Meanwhile, seal off the meat in a frying pan with hot oil, the garlic and chilli.
- Once you have good colour all over the meat, transfer to an oven-proof dish with the garlic and chilli. Pour over the boiling stock, cover the pan and cook in the oven at 180℃. If cooking on a stove, bring the stock up to a boil then reduce heat to a gentle simmer.
- Cook the meat for 3.5 to 4 hours until it is tender and pulls apart easily. When the meat is cooked, take it out and reduce the stock by two thirds. Meanwhile, using gloves, pull the meat into strips while it is still hot, then chill the meat down.
- Once the stock has been reduced down, allow it to completely chill and go to a jelly. For the best results, leave it overnight in the fridge.
- Mix the jelly, meat, pine nuts, dried fruit and five spice together, then roll each into 10 balls of equal size. Cut out 10 each of two different sized discs from the puff pastry: 11cm diameter for the lids; 9cm for the bases. Beat the egg.
- Place a meatball on each pastry base and brush the rim of the pastry with egg wash. Place the lid over the meat and carefully press the pastry down to seal the edges, making sure there are no air bubbles; pierce a small hole in the lid.
- Once sealed, take the 9cm cutter and, making sure the pithivier is in the middle, press down to tidy up the edge. Crimp the perimeter with a fork.
- Place the pithiviers on a greased tray, egg wash, and score a pattern on the top. Cook in the oven at 200℃ for 15 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.
