Venison Cobbler

by Steven Trew-19 April 2026Medium

Prep Time30 min

Cook Time120 min

Total Time150 min

Servings6

This slow-cooked stew crowned with a crunchy cobbler topping really makes the most of venison. Just the thing to perk you up on cold winter's day.

Imported RecipeOriginally from: www.bbc.co.uk

Method

0
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
1
Heat the oil in a medium, flameproof casserole dish and fry the onions, celery and carrot gently for 10 minutes, or until the onion is softened and lightly coloured, stirring occasionally.
2
Add the flour and mustard and cook for a few seconds before slowly stirring in the ale and 250ml 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.
3
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.
4
Season to taste with salt and pepper, adding a little lemon juice to lift the richness. Spoon the venison mixture into an ovenproof pie dish.
5
For the cobbler topping, preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
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.
7
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and roll out until it is about 2cm thick. Cut out 6cm rounds with a pastry cutter, kneading and re-rolling any leftover dough as necessary.
8
Place the ‘cobbles’ over the surface of the pie so they nearly cover the filling and brush them with milk or beaten egg.
9
Bake for 30 minutes, or until the topping is golden-brown and the filling is hot.