Venison cottage pie

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add the potatoes and a pinch of salt and boil until tender. Drain well and mash them until smooth. Beat in the milk, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste then set aside.

Heat a large nonstick frying pan and dry-fry the bacon until it is lightly browned and some fat starts to run. Add the venison, raise the heat and stir-fry until the meat is crumbly and browned.

Stir in the carrots, celery, leeks and mushrooms, cover the pan and let the vegetables sweat for 5 minutes, or until softened. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 190°C (357°F, gas mark 5).

Add the sweetcorn and herbs to the pan and stir in the flour. Continue cooking for 1 minute, then stir in the stock or water and ale mixture, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce and season to taste. Bring to the boil, stirring, then simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Put the mixture into a shallow, 1.5 litre (2# pint) pie dish. Spoon the mashed potato over the meat, roughing up the top slightly. Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and place the dish on a baking sheet. Cook for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden brown. Remove the pie from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes, then serve.