Warming venison pie with baby onions and pomegranate molasses — a Ravinder Bhogal recipe

As the holiday season cascades into chaos, there is a quiet meditation to be found in the supreme mindfulness of making pie. There is a calm in rolling out sumptuous excesses of buttery pastry and peace in letting time ebb away, listening to the low hum of slow-cooking cuts of meat bubbling in red wine. An empty, inanimate pie dish, soon to be filled with all manner of wintry richness, fills me with hope. Besides, there are few things that can compete with the joy of eating a just-baked pie when the temperature takes a nosedive.

Making one from scratch can be daunting thanks to photos of prim, symmetrical pies proliferating on social media. But sometimes I think we have sacrificed the true pleasure of taste to the cult of Instagram perfection. A pie will taste just as good whether rustically homespun or exactingly decorated and carved. Ultimately, what is important is the integrity of ingredients. The fragrant filling of this pie is spiced with star anise and cinnamon, enriched with the rounded tang of pomegranate molasses. For me, it’s like medicine. As pastry plays such a starry role, you should either make your own or buy an all-butter one, such as Dorset Puff Pastry. Those made with hydrogenated fat are flabby and flavourless.

Finally, there are rules for fully appreciating pie. First, you should be very hungry — it will contain most of the calories you need for the day. Second, to enjoy a pie’s sensory warmth there must be some part of you that is cold to begin with. I suggest taking the pie out of the oven and then taking a brisk walk before tucking in. Finally, pies braid together memory, nostalgia and contemplation. The slump of tender filling and crisp, gilded pastry encourages quiet, pleasant conversation. So enjoy your pie unhurried, with the people you love.

Venison pie with baby onions and pomegranate molasses

Serves 4

1. Put a large heavy-based casserole on a high heat. Add half the oil and, when hot, fry the bacon until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. In the same pan, fry the baby onions until coloured and set aside with the bacon. Season the venison well and fry in batches until brown and caramelised on all sides. Once it has browned, lift it out and set it aside with the bacon and onions.

2. Reduce the heat and add the butter and the remaining oil, followed by the red onion, carrot and celery, and sauté until softened. Add garlic, bay leaves, rosemary, juniper berries, star anise and cinnamon. Fry briefly or until fragrant.

3. Heat the oven to 170C. Return the venison, bacon and onions to the casserole, along with any juices. Scatter over the flour and stir well. Cook for two to three minutes, then pour in the wine, stir well and bring to a simmer. Add enough stock to just cover the meat. Stir in the pomegranate molasses and season well. Set the lid on slightly ajar, transfer to the oven and cook for two and a half hours. When the meat is tender, stir the pie filling gently, adjust the seasoning to taste and set aside to cool.

4. Turn up the oven to 200C. Cut both pastry sheets into four and roll out each one on a lightly floured surface until about 6cm larger than the pie dish. Place four sheets on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill. Transfer the remaining sheets to the pie dishes. Lift up the edge and let the dough slump down into the dish. Trim, leaving about a 2.5cm overhang. Transfer the venison mix to the dishes. Brush the edge of the pastry with egg.

5. Using a cutter, punch out a little hole in the centre of each of the chilled pastry pieces to let off steam. Drape the pastry over the filling and trim to a 2.5cm overhang. Press the edges of dough together to seal and fold under. Crimp the edges or press down with the tines of a fork to seal. Pastry offcuts can be used to decorate the pie. Brush the top with egg.

6. Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is deep golden brown. Let the pies cool slightly, and serve with mash and buttered winter greens.