Scottish Venison Cottage Pie Recipe | How to make

Make your family favourite Cottage Pie with our Scottish Wild Venison Mince  instead of traditional beef mince. Sustainable, naturally lean and with a typical fat content of 2%, Venison is high in vital proteins and an excellent natural source of Iron and Vitamin B making it an excellent choice to help keep your family healthy. 

Deliciously rich mash and slow cooked venison mince with carrots and peas is sure to please a crowd. Serve with a side of baked beans and crusty bread to mop up the gravy. 

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 500g Scottish Wild Venison mince
• 1 large carrot, finely diced
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 100ml Stout, or Beef Stock (we use Orkney Dark Island Reserve)
• 600ml beef stock
• 150g frozen Peas, defrosted

For the mash topping

• 1.2kg peeled potatoes, roughly chopped
• 150ml whole milk, warmed
• 75g butter, melted
• 50g Mature Cheddar Cheese, grated
• Salt + White Pepper 

1. Heat oil in a casserole dish or saucepan over a medium heat. Brown the venison in the hot oil and cook for 15 mins or until a nice rich colour achieved. Add a little more oil (or water) if it looks dry. Stir in carrot and onion and cook for 10 mins until they start to brown. Add the flour and cook out for 2 mins then stir in bay leaves and ketchup. Pour in the stout (not cold!) and allow it to bubble for about 1 minute, then slowly stir in the stock. Leave everything to simmer gently, uncovered, over medium heat for 30-40 mins until tender, and the gravy looks rich and glossy. When done, pour in the peas and mix through.

2. Pour into a baking dish and allow to cool. This is a great make ahead dish and the filling can be kept for 2 – 3 days in the fridge.

3. To make the creamy mash topping, boil the potatoes in a large saucepan and with salted cold water, simmer for about 10 mins, or until tender.

4. Drain and leave to steam-dry for a few minutes to get rid of any excess moisture. Mash well with the milk and butter, season to taste with white pepper. Top the pie filling with the creamy mash, often easier to start from the outside, then spread it over the middle. Using a spoon, push indents across the top for some texture and delicious crispy bits. Can now be chilled for three days, or frozen for up to six months.

5.  When ready to cook, heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and pop your dish on a baking tray. Scatter over the grated cheese, then bake for 35-40 mins until golden and bubbling. Leave to rest for 10 mins, then serve straight from the dish. 

Top Tips

• To get ahead, at step 2, the filling can be chilled and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Are you batch cooking? At step 4, the pie can be chilled for three days, or frozen for up to 6 months.
• Add a tin of green lentils to the filling mix if you want to bulk it out even further, make sure you double check the seasoning.