In my final day in South Australia at the end of a week-and-a-bit holiday, I ventured in the early morning with my companion to the Adelaide Showgrounds Farmers Market to check out what was on offer and soak in the atmosphere.

While interested in exploring the stalls, given the wonderful pie-diversity that a farmers market offers, I did have one particular stall in mind: Jamface, the stall associated with Poh Ying Leow. Being a big fan of Masterchef and Poh’s various programmes on ABC and SBS, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to visit while in Adelaide.

And indeed, on approaching the stall I could see that Poh was present. While queuing, a small child asked for a photo with Poh, who obliged with a smile. I was tempted to ask for a photo myself but decided not to cause such a fuss. I had come first and foremost for pie.

Upon reaching the front of the queue, I perused the goods on offer and selected the Beef Burgundy Pie ($8.90).

This pie was unconventional in its presentation. Rather than having a distinct base and lid, the pastry remained a single continuous piece, folded on top to form a casing–intriguing! The pastry, too, was not the norm–it was on the buttery end of the spectrum. On biting into it one could tell that it was different in texture and form. It was rich and not at all crumbly.

All the bits of a boeuf bourgignon were present: chunky steak, carrot, mushroom, garlic, and onion, as well as some potato. It had a pleasing flavour and was well seasoned, though the bourgignon aspect did not come through too much. The primary issue facing the pie was that it was a bit too dry. And it was for this reason that the pie fell short of evoking boeuf bourgignon. It simply lacked the unctuousness and indulgence involved in a well-executed bourgignon.

My companion had bought a Roast Pumpkin and Three Cheese Pasty ($8.10). The pastry for this was similarly ‘super buttery’ and the pie was nice overall, though overpowered by feta, one of the three cheeses.

A slight disappointment but still a tasty treat had in a relaxed morning at the Farmers Market. A fitting way to conclude our South Australian sojourn.

I recently had an escape to South Australia for a week-long holiday. In between visiting wineries, I sought out pie. The first opportunity arose on a Saturday morning where I attended the Barossa Farmers Market in the Barossa Valley.

I procured a coffee and scoured the grounds in search of fine, local pie produce. There were a couple of options available but I could not pass up the rare opportunity to try a pie from Birdwood Venison. Two sizes were available–small and big. I went for the small pie ($7) which was advertised as being comprised of chunky venison and vegetable. My companion and I exited the indoor area and set ourselves up outside, basking in the morning spring sun near to some light entertainment in the form of an acoustic duo.

The pie was small and round. The pastry was a picturesque gold on top. A rich, buttery aroma filled the air. I eagerly tucked into this morsel and found the pastry to indeed be very rich and delicate. There was moistness to the pastry on the bottom, a reflection of its butteriness I should think.

Inside, the venison was indeed chunky. I had not tasted venison before. I found it to be not particularly gamey but with a distinct and more forceful taste than, say, beef. A suitable contrast is with the alpaca pie previously featured on The Pie’s the Limit, which was far milder in flavour albeit accompanied by a gamey quality. The venison here had a refined quality and went down quite well. It was tender and a joy to eat. It was well complemented by the diverse vegetables–carrot, onion, celery, and so on–and well-seasoned. The pie was substantially distinct from the usual pie featured on this blog, not featuring the usual gravy, replaced in this case by the veg. And it worked.

I did not know what to expect from the venison pie. While I do not expect that I will be returning to venison with any regularity (availability being an issue, for one) this pleasant package turned out to be a delightful detour from the norm. It was the perfect accompaniment to a morning at the Barossa Farmer’s Market. Well worth a try.