-
1
Place the venison into a large bowl.
-
2
Stir in the onion, celery salt, pepper, salt and thyme leaves.
-
3
Toss together lightly and set to one side
-
4
To make the suet pastry, sift the flour and the salt into a large bowl.
-
5
Add the suet, salt and pepper.
-
6
Lightly mix and add the water a little at a time.
-
7
Using your hands mix to form a soft dough
-
8
On a lightly floured work surface roll out the pastry into a round disc approximately 0.5-1cm/ 1/4- 1/2in thick.
-
9
Cut out about a quarter of the pastry mixture for the lid and set aside.
-
10
Use the remainder of the pastry to line a well buttered 1.75 ltr/3 pt pudding basin, leaving at least 1cm/ 1/2in of the pastry hanging over the edge
-
11
Add the flour to the venison mixture and stir gently.
-
12
Place the batches of the meat mixture into a sieve (with a glass bowl underneath) and shake to remove any excess flour.
-
13
Spoon into the pudding basin lined with the pastry.
-
14
Do not push the meat filling into the basin add the fresh beef stock nearly two thirds to the top, not covering the meat completely
-
15
Place the pastry lid over the filling and fold the border over.
-
16
Press the pastry together to seal.
-
17
Cover the pudding with a double piece of buttered foil, pleated in the middle.
-
18
Tie in place with string
-
19
Steam the pudding in an upturned plate in a large saucepan filled with hot water for 5 hours, topping up with water occasionally so as not to boil dry the water in the saucepan.
-
20
Serve with mashed potato and winter greens
