- 450g/1lb plain flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 200g/7oz lard
- 225ml/8fl oz milk
- 225ml/8fl oz water
- dash olive oil
- 2 banana shallots, finely sliced
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 450g/1lb minced venison
- 2 free-range eggs, beaten
- 1 tsp ground juniper berries
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- 1 tbsp thyme leaves
- 1 tbsp flatleaf parsley, roughly chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 450g/1lb venison steak, thinly sliced
- 12g leaf gelatine
- 500ml/18fl oz chicken stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 10 peppercorns
- 50g/2oz butter
- 500g/1lb 2oz red onion, finely sliced
- 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
- 50g/2oz caster sugar
- 1 tsp thyme leaves, picked
- 150ml/5fl oz red wine
- 75ml/3fl oz good red wine vinegar
- For the pastry, place the flour and salt into a bowl and make a well in the centre.
- Place the lard into a pan, along with the milk and water and bring to the boil.
- Pour the lard and water into the flour. Stir with a wooden spoon until thickened and all the flour is incorporated.
- Knead the pastry on a floured work surface until smooth and elastic. Shape the pastry into a ball, wrap in cling film and place in the fridge, while you prepare the pie.
- For the pie, preheat the oven to 170C/340F/Gas 3.
- Heat a frying pan until hot, add the olive oil, shallots and garlic and fry for 2-3 minutes until softened and just turning golden-brown. Remove from the heat and cool.
- Place the minced venison, half of the egg, the ground juniper berries, ground cloves, thyme and parsley into a bowl and mix thoroughly, using your hands.
- Add the cooled shallots, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix once more. Set aside.
- Remove the pastry from the fridge, roll it out with a rolling pin and press two-thirds of it into a game pie dish, reserving the remainder for the lid.
- Place a quarter of the mince mixture into the base of the lined dish, smoothing to the edges. Place one-third of the sliced venison on top and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Repeat with the remaining mince and steak, layering up to finish with a layer of mince.
- Place the remaining pastry on top and use your fingers and thumb to crimp the edges. Brush with beaten egg, reserving some of the egg, and make a hole in the centre of the pie with a sharp knife.
- Place in the oven to bake for 1½ hours. Remove and cool for 30 minutes.
- Increase the oven temperature to 190C/380F/Gas 5. Carefully remove the pie from the mould and place the pie onto a baking tray. Brush again with beaten egg, covering all sides. Return the pie to the oven for a further 20 minutes. Remove and cool.
- For the jelly, soak the gelatine leaf in a bowl of cold water until softened. Place the chicken stock, bay leaf and peppercorns into a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
- Add the gelatine leaf and simmer a little more until the gelatine has dissolved. Strain into a jug and then pour into the pie through the hole on the top, slowly, allowing the liquid to seep into the pie all the way through.
- Place in the fridge for at least one hour to cool completely.
- For the red onion marmalade, heat a frying pan until hot, add the butter, chopped red onion and garlic and fry for 3-4 minutes, until just soft.
- Add the sugar and thyme, and cook slowly over a low heat for 20 minutes, or until soft and caramelised. Turn the heat up and add the red wine and red wine vinegar. Bring to a simmer and cook for a further 10-15 minutes until the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Leave to cool.
- To serve, slice the pie and serve it with the onion marmalade.