As I have mentioned before, I am a big fan of “wild game” whether it be venison, boar, elk, etc. This recipe takes my Vension Ragout, adds a whole lot more mushrooms to make it very thick, and then fill into delicious, buttery puff pastry. totally decadent. Very earthy, savory, comfort food.
Hand pies freeze well! Wrap in foil, then pop each one in a ziplock baggie. To reheat bake in the tin foil for 12-12 minutes, then unwrap and bake an additional 5 minutes without the foil to crisp up. Great for a lunch or dinner with a salad.
Ingredients
for the filling
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 white onion, finely diced
2 green bell pepper, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 pound ground venison
1 1/2 cups shiitake mushrooms, finely diced
1 1/2 cups cremini mushrooms, finely diced
1 cup chanterelle mushroom, finely diced (optional, but great if you can find them)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
14 oz canned diced tomatoes, additionally finely chopped
1/4 cup red or white wine, either is fine, I used red
2 cup low sodium beer broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
small piece parmesan rind (optional)
for the hand pies
2 boxes frozen puff pastry, both sheets, thawed according to the package
1 large egg + 1 teaspoon milk, for the egg wash
Directions
First, make your filling, as it will need to be completely cold before filling into your puff pastry. I do this a day or two ahead.
Heat oven to 325F. Make sure the rack in in the middle position.
Heat the oil in a large, oven safe Dutch oven. Add the onion, pepper and carrots and cook over medium-low heat, stirring, for about 8-10 minutes or until softened. Add the mushrooms and venison, breaking it up with the back of your spoon and stirring until browned. Once browned, sprinkle in the flour and cook for about 1 minute. Stir in the wine and cook until it cooks down by about half. Stir in the salt, pepper, sugar, garlic powder, minced garlic, and Worcestershire sauce. Add the tomato paste, canned tomatoes, beef broth, bay leaves, and Parmesan rind, if using. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Move the pot to the oven and cook for about two hours, stirring occasionally. Make sure to keep an eye on the liquid levels and top up with hot water if needed. Let cool completely before moving to the next part. Note that you will only need half of this filling to make your eight pasties.
Thaw both sheets of frozen puff pastry according to the package instructions. Preheat the oven to 400F with a rack in the center position. Combine the egg and milk in a small bowl, whisk together, and set aside.
On a well-floured surface, unfold one piece of puff pastry sheet. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the sheet into a 10-inch-wide by 12-inch-long rectangle. Using a sharp knife, cut into four equal-sized rectangles (these will serve as the bottom half of each pastry). Repeat with the remaining piece of puff pastry and set aside. Set the bottom pastry rectangles on the parchment-lined sheet pan. Distribute the potato-leek filling evenly into a thick, even layer onto the bottom half of each pastry rectangle, leaving a 1/2-inch border on all sides. Distribute the grated cheddar evenly on top of each potato-leek filling. Brush the borders lightly with the egg wash.
Using the rolling pin, roll the remaining rectangles so they are slightly larger in size than the bottom pastry rectangles. Place each piece on top of the potato and cheese filling, lining up the edges (avoid stretching the dough if possible). Crimp the borders of each pastry by pressing with a lightly floured fork to seal. Arrange the pasties on the sheet pan, spacing them evenly apart. Brush the top of each pasty with egg wash and cut a slit or two in the top pastry. Sprinkle lightly with salt and black pepper.
Bake the pasties at 400F, rotating the pan halfway through, until the pasties are deep golden brown in color, 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes and serve hot from the oven.
