Stalker’s Pie with Lentils

Serves
6

Prep Time
20 mins

Cook Time
45 mins

Stalker’s pie with lentils is a rich, hearty take on Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s recipe Cottage Garden Pie, from his ‘How to Eat 30 Plants a Week’ book . This dish features tender venison, paired with earthy lentils for a robust and satisfying filling. Cooked with onions, carrots, celery, and mushrooms in a fragrant tomato based gravy, the mixture is then topped with creamy, buttery, mustard and caper mashed potatoes, crisped to golden perfection in the oven. Packed with deep, savoury flavours, this dish is a true celebration of rustic, comforting cooking—perfect for chilly evenings and packed with protein and veg.

 

Ingredients

Serving 6
  For the filling
300g Chestnut mushrooms, roughly chopped or sliced
400g Venison mince
2 Onions, finely chopped
3 Carrots, chopped or diced
2 Celery sticks, finely chopped
2 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
200ml Passata
400g Puy lentils, drained or 250g of pre-cooked lentils
1tbsp Worcestershire sauce
to taste Sea salt and pepper
3tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  For the topping
1kg Potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
50g Butter
75mls Milk
1tsp Dijon mustard
2tbsp Capers, roughly chopped
Handful Fresh parsley, roughly chopped

Equipment

Oven proof dish

1. Pre-heat the

oven to 190°C.

2. Put your

potatoes in a large pan, cover with water, season with sea salt and boil until tender.

3. In a large

saucepan, cook the mushrooms with a little oil and fry hard until they have released their juices. Continue to cook until juices have evaporated off and set aside.

4. Add a

little more oil and brown the venison with a little salt and pepper. Set aside with the mushrooms.

5. In the same

pan, add the garlic, onions, celery and cook until onions are soft and golden (add a little more oil if needed). Add the carrot and cook for 5 or 6 minutes before returning the venison, mushrooms and juices to the pan and giving the mixture a good stir.

6. Add the

passata and a splash of water and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes until rich and saucy.

7. Meanwhile,

mash your potatoes with butter, a little milk, Dijon, capers and parsley and season to taste.

8. Stir in the

lentils and Worcestershire sauce to your venison and check your seasoning. Transfer to an oven proof dish and spread evenly.

9. Fork the

mashed potato on top and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden and bubbling. Serve with seasonal veg.

Venison

Protein (100g)

30g

Calories (100g)

111

Fat (100g)

2.7g

Cholesterol (100g)

112mg

Protein (100g)

30g

View Venison recipes