Venison and Vegetable Pie

I’m a big fan of using up leftovers in a meat pie.  I make them quite often, incorporating leftover vegetables into the pie and, whenever I can, a gravy made from pan drippings.  That’s how this pie came to be.  I braised a venison roast with onions and apples earlier this week and it provided enough meat for two meals.

Here’s what I used to make my pie:

• Pastry for a one-crust, 9-inch pie (not pictured).  I used the same pastry recipe I used when making my broccoli cheddar quiche.
• Gravy made by puréeing the onions and pan juices from the braise (I ended up using a cup and a half.  I froze the rest to use in a soup another day.)
• About a cup of diced, cooked venison roast
• About a cup of chopped, cooked cabbage
• About 3/4 cup cooked carrots
• About 3/4 cup frozen peas (Are you loving my accurate measurements yet?)
• 1 recipe clapshot (You could use mashed potatoes or mashed yams instead.)

I started by heating up the gravy and adjusting the seasoning.  I added more salt and a little nutmeg.  It’s always a good idea to season the gravy for a meat pie a little more heavily than you might for table service because it will be providing seasoning for the vegetables in the filling. 

When the gravy had cooled to room temperature again, I made the pie shell.    

I put the venison, cabbage, carrots , and peas in a large bowl and added just enough gravy to moisten them.   I mixed them until the ingredients were well combined, then I turned the venison/vegetable mixture out into the pie shell and spread it evenly.

I covered the pie with a layer of clapshot, leaving a vent at the middle so steam could escape while the pie was cooking.

The pie baked at 350F for 45 minutes.  I let it rest about 5 minutes before slicing it for service.

This pie will not freeze well but it will keep in the fridge for a couple of days.  Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave.  We used our leftover pie for lunches.