Main: Gloucestershire Game Pie (Gill Firth)

Published: Wednesday, 17 October 2007, 1:59PM

INGREDIENTS

THE FILLING
• 1 local pheasant - boned
• 1 pigeon breast - boned
• 1 rabbit - boned
• 1 large local duck breast - boned
• 275 g of Gloucestershire venison haunch or best braising venison
• 4 rashers of Gloucestershire streaky bacon
• 2 large field mushrooms
• 1 large local onion
• 900 ml of really good concentrated game or chicken stock
• Good ½ bottle of gutsy shizaz (Australian)
• ½ glass of ruby port
• Teaspoon of mixed herbs
• Salt and pepper
• 75 g plain flour to coat meat before sealing , plus 25 g to make a roux
• 2 -3 tbsps of sunflower oil
• 75 g of butter
• Mushroom ketchup from shop(optional)
• Gravy browning (optional)

PASTRY
• 450 g light plain organic flour
• 100g of salted butter should be softened at room temperature
• 100g of lard
• Jug of very cold water ( ice cubes in if possible)
• Flour for rolling out pasty
• Pinch of salt
• Small amount of milk for glazing pie

TO SERVE
• New potatoes
• Green beans
• carrots

METHOD
1. Start by preparing the filling for the pie. Cut the venison into good sized cubes. Cut the pheasant, duck breast, pigeon breast and rabbit into larger cubes and season.
2. Chop bacon and slice the mushrooms and onion.
3. Toss all the meat in flour. Heat the oil and a knob of butter in a pan and brown the meat in batches then remove and place in a casserole dish.
4. Brown the onion and bacon, add the mushrooms and add to the casserole dish.
5. Heat the stock, wine, port and herbs in the frying pan and whisk. Add a little gravy browning or mushroom ketchup if using at this stage. Check the seasoning and add to the casserole dish.
6. Cover the casserole dish and cook in the oven for 2 hours at 150 degrees Celsius.
7. To make the pastry, rub the lard and butter into the sieved flour and salt. Mix in enough water to form a dough.
8. Kneed the dough for a couple of minutes.
9. Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
10. Once rested, roll out the pastry dough on a floured surface.
11. Remove the casserole dish from the oven and transfer the contents to a large pie dish.
12. Place the pastry on top of the filling and glaze with milk.
13. Return to the oven and bake at 200 degrees Celsius for 25 minutes.
14. Boil the new potatoes for 15 minutes
15. Prepare the green beans and carrots and steam the vegetables until cooked.
16. Add butter and parsley to the new potatoes, carrots and green beans.
17. Serve a hearty portion of the game pie with the vegetables on the side.