Venison, Mushroom & Chestnut Pithivier with Port Gravy

⏱ 150 min · Serves 6

A burnished golden dome of puff pastry hiding tender venison haunch, a deep-flavoured mushroom duxelles and sweet crumbled chestnuts. Cut into it at the table and let the steam and the gasps do the talking. Serve with a glossy port gravy and buttered greens.

Per serving: 742 kcal · 42.0g protein · 52.0g carbs · 40.0g fat

Ingredients

• 700g venison haunch or loin, trimmed, cut into 3cm chunks
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 30g butter
• 400g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped
• 150g dried-then-soaked or fresh wild mushrooms, chopped (or extra chestnut mushrooms)
• 2 banana shallots, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
• 1 sprig rosemary, finely chopped
• 150g cooked peeled chestnuts, roughly crumbled
• 100ml Madeira or port
• 2 tbsp double cream
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 500g all-butter puff pastry (or 2 x 320g sheets)
• 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tbsp milk, to glaze
• Sea salt and black pepper
• For the gravy: 1 tbsp butter, 1 shallot (sliced), 150ml port, 400ml beef or game stock, 1 tsp redcurrant jelly, 1 tsp cornflour slaked in water

Method

1. Season the venison well. Heat the oil in a large frying pan until smoking and sear the chunks hard in batches, 1–2 minutes per side, so they colour but stay rare inside. Rest on a plate, then chill.
2. In the same pan melt the butter and fry the shallots gently for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme and rosemary, then all the mushrooms. Cook over a high heat for 15–20 minutes, stirring, until every drop of liquid has gone and the duxelles is dark and jammy.
3. Pour in the Madeira and bubble away to nothing. Stir in the cream, mustard and crumbled chestnuts, season boldly, then spread on a tray and cool completely, then chill.
4. Cut the chilled venison into smaller bite-sized pieces if needed and fold through two-thirds of the cold duxelles, plus any resting juices. Pack tightly into a bowl lined with cling film to form a 16cm dome, spreading the remaining duxelles over the top. Wrap and freeze for 30 minutes to firm up.
5. Roll the pastry into two discs: one 24cm, one 28cm. Chill on trays for 15 minutes.
6. Place the smaller disc on a lined baking sheet. Turn out the chilled filling dome onto the centre and peel off the cling film. Brush the pastry border with egg wash.
7. Drape the larger disc over the top, pressing out air and sealing firmly around the base. Trim to a neat 2cm border and crimp with the back of a knife. Chill 20 minutes.
8. Egg wash all over, then score curved lines from the crown down to the edge in the classic pithivier spiral. Prick a small steam hole at the top. Egg wash a second time.
9. Bake at 200°C fan for 35–40 minutes until deeply golden and puffed. Rest 10 minutes before slicing.
10. Meanwhile make the gravy: soften the shallot in butter, add port and reduce by half, add stock and redcurrant jelly, simmer 10 minutes, thicken with the cornflour, strain and season.
11. Slice the pithivier into wedges with a serrated knife and serve with the port gravy.