Wild fallow cobbler

Ingredients

Pie mix
500g venison haunch, diced
30g plain flour
50g smoked bacon, diced
50g baby onions
1 carrot, peeled & chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
½ tsp tomato purée
250ml stout
250ml red wine
500ml beef stock
Bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
Vegetable oil for frying

Cobblers
115g self raising flour
½ tsp baking powder
Good pinch of salt
25g butter
25g parmesan, grated
25g cheddar, grated
1½ tsp creamed horseradish
75ml milk
1 egg yolk

www.thewoodsmanrestaurant.co.uk

Serves 4-6

Dust the venison with the flour and shake off any excess. Brown in small batches in vegetable oil in a hot heavy based pan until golden. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside. Sweat the bacon and onions in the pan until golden brown before adding the carrot for a minute or so. Deglaze the pan with the stout and red wine and reduce by half, then add the venison. Next add the beef stock and bring to the boil. Transfer to an oven proof dish and cook in the oven at 150°C for 90 minutes, or until tender.

For the cobblers, rub all the dry ingredients and butter together until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the horseradish and milk and bring together gently with your hands to form a dough: be careful not to over-work.

Roll the scones to about 1cm, cut to the desired shape, and refrigerate for an hour to rest. Place the pastry on top of the pie mix, brush generously with egg yolk and cook at 180°C until the pastry has doubled in size and is golden brown, about 30 minutes.