Wild venison, field mushroom and ale pudding

Method

• step 1

  To make the pastry, sift 1 tsp salt with the flour and stir in the suet. Add 300ml cold water and work until it makes a dough. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 1 hour.

• step 2

  Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan and gently cook the onions and garlic for 10 minutes until soft. Tip out of the pan, then add a little more oil. Fry the mushrooms until golden, then remove. Toss the venison in the flour and fry in batches, adding more oil as you go, until golden brown. Mix the purée, ale, sugar and thyme into the pan, then leave to cool.

• step 3

  Butter a 1.4-litre pudding basin. Roll the suet pastry out to about 1 cm thick and use to line the sides of the basin. Trim so that there’s a little overhang. Re-roll what’s left and cut out a lid that’s about 1 cm wider than the top of the basin.

• step 4

  Put the mushrooms around the sides of the basin, stalks facing in, then fill the basin with meat and juices. Place the lid on top and crimp the edges together to seal. Make a double layer of buttered foil and baking paper, and pleat in the centre. Scrunch this over the pudding, foil-side up, then tie with string under the rim of the basin. Trim to 2 cm under the string, then put into a steamer.

• step 5

  Gently steam the pudding for 4 hours. Rest for 10 minutes then unwrap and turn out onto a big plate.