Ingredients

• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 2 large onions
• sliced
• 2 celery sticks
• trimmed and sliced
• 1 medium carrot
• peeled and cut into rough 15mm/â…�in cubes
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tsp English mustard powder
• 500ml/18fl oz real ale or stout
• 1kg/2lb 4oz venison (ideally shoulder or leg)
• cut into 3cm/1in chunks
• 2 heaped tbsp redcurrant jelly
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• roughly chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1–2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 500g/1lb 2oz self-raising flour
• plus extra for dusting
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 100g/3½oz cold butter
• cut into cubes
• 300ml/10½oz whole milk
• plus extra for glazing
• beaten egg
• to glaze (optional)

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
• Heat the oil in a medium
• flameproof casserole dish (or a large heavy-based saucepan) and fry the onions
• celery and carrot gently for 10 minutes
• or until the onion is softened and lightly coloured
• stirring occasionally.
• Add the flour and mustard and cook for a few seconds before slowly stirring in the ale and 250ml/9fl oz of water. Add the venison
• redcurrant jelly
• thyme leaves and bay leaves and stir. Season with a little salt and lots of coarsely ground black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer
• stirring occasionally
• then cover with a lid.
• Carefully transfer the dish to the oven and cook for 1¾–2 hours
• or until the venison is very tender and the sauce is thick.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper
• adding a little lemon juice to lift the richness. (At this point you can cool the venison mixture and leave it in the fridge to finish off later
• or the next day if you like.) When you’re ready to cook your cobbler
• spoon the venison mixture into an ovenproof pie dish.
• For the cobbler topping
• preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• Put the flour and salt in a large bowl and rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the milk
• stirring constantly
• until the mixture comes together and forms a soft
• spongy dough.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and roll out until it is about 2cm/¾in thick. Cut out 6cm/2½in rounds with a pastry cutter
• kneading and re-rolling any leftover dough as necessary.
• Place the ‘cobbles’ over the surface of the pie so they nearly cover the filling and brush them with milk or beaten egg.
• Bake for 30 minutes
• or until the topping is golden-brown and the filling is hot.