Brian in the Kitchen Recipes
BRIAN IN THE KITCHEN brought to you by Stittsworth Meats
November 15 2019
Sweet Potato and Venison Shepherds Pie
Topping:
1 large sweet potato
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons milk, or more as needed
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1 pinch freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Filling:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (8 ounce) package cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
salt to taste
1 pound ground venison
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2/3 cup dry white wine
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Pierce the sweet potato several times with a fork and wrap in aluminum foil. Place on a baking sheet.
Roast in the preheated oven until sweet potato is fork-tender, 70 to 90 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool enough to handle, 5 to 10 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate and place on a rimmed baking sheet to prevent bubbling over.
Peel skin off the sweet potato and place flesh into a large bowl. Add butter, milk, salt, pepper, sage, and nutmeg. Beat using an electric mixer until ingredients are combined. Mix in Cheddar cheese gently. Set aside.
Heat vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Sprinkle with salt. Cook until vegetables have softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add venison, thyme, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and sage. Stir to combine, breaking up any large pieces of venison. Cook until venison is no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes.
Stir flour into the pot and cook for 1 minute. Pour in white wine and stir to loosen any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until wine has reduced slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in broth. Allow mixture to come to a simmer; continue to cook until filling has thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in peas. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as necessary. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Pour filling into the prepared pie plate. Top with sweet potato mixture and spread gently across the top, covering most of the filling.
Bake in the preheated oven until top is set and filling is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving.