Rich, full of flavour and perfect comfort food.
Ingredients
500g of Ardtornish Venison Mince
2 tbsp of olive oil
1 Ardtornish onion, finely chopped
1 Ardtornish carrot, finely chopped
4 rashers of good quality smoked streaky bacon
2 sprigs of rosemary, leaves taken off and finely chopped
1 tbsp of plain flour
250ml of a good quality red wine or port
400ml of beef stock
A pinch of salt
A pinch of pepper
For the topping
800g Ardtornish potatoes peeled and cubed
150ml of double cream
A knob of butter
Preparation: 30 minutes
Cook: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Serves: 6
Method
Firstly preheat the oven to 200C/ Gas 6.
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a high heat and add in the bacon, fry until crisp. Once this is crisp remove it from the pan and set aside.
Then add the onion, carrot and rosemary into the large pan and fry until soft. Add the Venison mince and stir until the mince is golden brown.
Add the flour a bit at a time and leave for a minute. Gradually add the wine or port, stirring all the time. Allow this to boil until the liquid has reduced by about 50%. Then add the stock and fried bacon as well as the seasoning and stir well. Then cover and simmer for about 35 – 45 minutes or until tender.
The mince can now be transferred into a large ovenproof dish.
To make the topping, bring a large pot of water to the boil and add a pinch of salt. Boil the potatoes until they are tender, drain and return to the pan. Add in the butter and the cream and mash until smooth.
Spoon the mash onto the cold mince, level the top and mark with a fork. Bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown.
