Game Pork Pie

Game Pork Pie

by Shopify API

Celebration Game Pork Pie, by Rachel Green

Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°fan/350°F/gas mark 4

Sift the flours and salt into a mixing bowl. Rub the butter and lard into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre of the mixture.

Heat the lard and 100ml water in a small saucepan over a medium heat. When the mixture is simmering, pour into the well in the flour mixture and stir to combine, bringing together as a dough.

Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Roll out ¾ of the dough to the thickness of a pound coin and line a pie tin, pressing the pastry well into the base and sides of the tin, leaving the excess pastry hanging over the edge of the tin. It is a very forgiving pastry so if it tears, it can be easily patched up.

For the filling, put the minced pork into a bowl, season with salt and pepper and mix in the thyme and nutmeg. Spoon the mixture into the pastry case and press down with the back of a spoon, making sure there are no air pockets. Place the pheasant breasts on top of the pork mixture, followed by the cherries. Follow with a layer of pigeon breasts and then scatter over the pistachios. The pie needs to be well-packed so if there are any spaces, add some more game.

Roll out the remaining pastry until it is large enough to form a lid for the pie. Brush the overhanging edges with water and place the lid on top, squeezing it together at the edges to seal. Trim the excess pastry. Decorate the top of the pie with any leftover pastry and flute around the edges. Make a hole in the centre of the lid and chill for 30 minutes.

Put the pie onto a baking sheet and brush the top of the pie evenly with some of the beaten egg. Put into the preheated oven and cook for an hour. Take the pie out of the oven and remove the pie from the tin. Brush the sides of the pie with some of the beaten egg and pop back in the oven for a further 30 minutes until nicely browned. If it starts to brown too quickly, cover loosely with some foil. The internal temperature needs to be at least 75°C.

Once cooked, remove from the oven and leave to cool and chill overnight, or for at least 4 hours.

Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for 5 minutes, remove and squeeze out the excess water. Heat the stock until almost boiling, remove from the heat and stir in the gelatine. Leave to cool to room temperature.

Pour the cooled stock into the pie through the hole in the lid, pouring in a little at a time, allowing a few seconds before each addition until you can see the gelatine at the top of the pie through the hole.

Place the pie back in the fridge for another 2 hours to allow the jelly to set.

Eat the pie within 3 days.

Recipe created by Rachel Green, image by Michael Powell. 

The Eat Game Awards aim to celebrate the best of wild British produce by recognizing great culinary achievements and other contributions to the cooking and eating of game.  They offer those less familiar with game the chance to get a better understanding of how to cook it and the confidence to include it in their regular culinary repertoires.

Learn more about the Eat Game Awards here

 

Ingredients

Serves: 8

For the pastry:

225g plain flour, sieved

50g strong white flour, sieved

40g butter, chilled & cubed

75g lard, cubed

1 tsp salt

For the filling:

200g minced pork shoulder

Sea salt flakes

Ground white pepper

½ tsp nutmeg

1 tsp dried thyme, or 3 tsp fresh thyme

150g pheasant breasts, no skin

50g sour cherries, halved

150g pigeon breasts, no skin

2 tbsp pistachios

To finish:

1 egg, beaten

4 gelatine leaves

300ml chicken stock