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Two pies for Waiter There's Something..., tomorrow the apple pie, but here a mix of game packed into a loaf tin and encased by the most delicious pastry. Both recipes (for the pastry and the pie itself were adapted from The Big Food And Drink Book (published 1993 from the old BBC Food and Drink program). The mixed pack of game was on offer at Waitrose - a bunch of scraggy looking mallard, pheasant, pigeon and partridge which was tossed into an onion sauce with a chopped carrot plus a big pinch of mixed herbs. After cooking served warm with a little of my home-made Sloe Jam.
- 340g mixed game
- 1 large sliced carrot
- 1 large onion
- 2 tablespoons plain flour
- large pinch or two of mixed herbs
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and Pepper
- 1 beaten egg to brush the pastry with
- 200ml water
- 175g white fat (I used lard)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 450g plain flour
Place meat in a saucepan and cover with water and bay leaf. Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes removing any scum that rises to the surface. Fry onion until soft. Add carrot and continue cooking for a minute or two. Mix in the flour and enough stock (from the simmering meat) to make a smooth sauce. Mix in herbs and a bay leaf.
For the pastry melt the fat in the water with the salt. Bring to the boil and turn off heat. Dump in the flour and mix until a firm but soft paste is formed. Use while still warm and pliable.
Line a 1lb loaf tin with the pastry leaving enough to form a lid and, if feeling artistic, various decorations for the top (and something more exciting than my pitiful ball collection!).
Pack the meat and onion/carrot mixture into the lined tin. You could add a layer of mushrooms and/or red currant jelly on this before covering with a lid. Make slits in the top and decorate as desired. Brush with egg. Bake for about an hour at 190C. You might need to cover with tin foil to prevent the pastry browning too quickly.
Traditionally savoury pies are decorated to differentiate them from the unadorned sweet pies.
ADD A COMMENT (12)
Comments
It looks delicious!
And I'm sure that a bit of lard in some pastry does a lot less damage to you than shedloads of E numbers and artificial this, that & the other!
Scribbled down by: Alex
February 20, 2007 4:55 PM
This looks fantastic! I've been dying to make game pie for ages, but all of the recipes I've seen so far are terribly long-winded and time-consuming. I'll have to give this a whirl if I can find some meat.
Scribbled down by: Angela February 20, 2007 9:43 PM
Now come on - lard isn't all that bad! It sounds perfect for this dish, at any rate...
Game is also right up my street, as I just love wild food. And your photos, as always, are delicious.
Scribbled down by: Scott at Real Epicurean
February 20, 2007 10:01 PM
Perfect cold weather fare and lard really does make great pastry. I like the decoration you did with the little pastry balls on top...thought it was very enticing.
Scribbled down by: Elle
February 22, 2007 3:56 AM
This looks great. I may have something gamey up my sleeve too, but significantly different from this. Sounds fab though, and possibly like something that would be good hot or cold? Great WTSIM entry!
Scribbled down by: Jeanne
February 22, 2007 11:46 AM
Oh my gosh, that looks fabulous! I have to say, I have fallen in love with British meat pies. I will definitely have to make this one!
Scribbled down by: Culinary Cowgirl
March 1, 2007 2:36 PM
Thanks girls, it was rather nice I must admit. Although I still have to practice with the old pastry rolling and trimming.
Scribbled down by: Andrew
March 2, 2007 12:31 AM
Andrew - So, could you really differentiate one meat from the other? Do you prefer mixed game to using only one type of game? The pie really looks delicious, even if you describe the mallard as scraggly.
Scribbled down by: Shaun
March 6, 2007 3:17 AM
differentiate? not really, after cooking the flavours all melded into one. Different textures of course which is why a mix of meats is important.
Scribbled down by: Andrew
March 6, 2007 11:17 AM
Thank you, thank you thank you.
I can remember this recipe from Food and Drink years ago and cooked it time and time again - then lost it. I've been searching ever since and bingo - here it is today.
Pre boiling the meat makes for a much more tender pie than those where the meat is packed into the pastry raw.
Lined with bacon and with some cranberries on top this is going to make one very happy Englishman - me!!
Thanks again.
Scribbled down by: kerfy November 17, 2007 5:56 PM
My husband found some mixed game packs at our local farmer's market.Looked everywhere for a decent recipe for mixed game pie and yours popped up.Thank you! Now I will have something in the freezer for when the weather turns nasty and we have something warming. Mmmmmm
Scribbled down by: siobhan waters May 2, 2008 11:59 PM
Welcome Siobhan! I rather like this cold with a little salad and a nice glass of white - excellent summer/picnic fare.
Scribbled down by: Andrew
May 3, 2008 5:19 PM