Game Pie
By Bryn Williams for Delicious Magazine
Ingredients
- 600g mixed pheasant meat, venison meat and pigeon meat, diced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 celery sticks, chopped
- 300ml red wine
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 fresh thyme sprig
- 200-300ml chicken stock, hot
For the pastry
- 250g unsalted butter
- 400g plain flour, plus extra to dust
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 large free-range egg yolk
- Milk, for brushing
Method
Make the pastry. In a bowl, gently rub the butter into the flour and salt to form a breadcrumb-like mixture. Add the egg yolk, then 1-2 tbsp ice-cold water to bring it all together. Wrap in cling film and chill for 1 hour.
Season the meat well. Heat the oil in a large casserole over a medium heat. Add the meat, in batches, and cook until golden all over. Set aside. Turn down the heat, then add all the vegetables to the casserole and cook for 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half, then return the game to the casserole, along with the herbs. Pour in enough of the stock to just cover the meat, bring to the boil, then remove from the heat. Cool.
Preheat the oven to 160°C/fan140°C/ gas 3. Empty the casserole into a large, 1.5-litre pie dish and put a pie funnel in the centre. On a floured surface, roll out the pastry to £1 coin thickness, then cut 2 long strips from the pastry edges and press around the rim of the dish. Brush with milk, then top with the pastry. Cut a slit for the funnel, trim the sides of the pastry and press to seal the edges. Brush with a little milk and bake for 50 minutes until the pastry is golden.
Tips
- You can get a mix of game from your butcher or even from some supermarkets.
- Make the pie to the end of step 5 and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Or freeze unbaked, wrapped in cling film and foil, for up to 1 month. Defrost fully in the fridge before baking, and glaze before baking. When game is in season, make and freeze the filling for up to 6 months. Defrost in the fridge before using.
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