Game pie: perfect comfort food
Game is pretty easy to cook with as you’re safe with going classical and getting a delicious result. Red wine, shallots and bacon; had I have had some button mushrooms and little Chantenay carrots I would have added them to the mix too. Try the market for locally-sourced, good-quality game.
A pie is the best introduction to game too; the rich sauce means that you can disguise the meat and get a better reaction than serving up rabbit on a spit! That sounded very Sweeney Todd but it’s baffling to me that meat eaters wouldn’t like game. Still, there are a number of foods I refuse to eat so I’ll reserve judgement.
To bake I threw in some parsley and encased the pie filling in puff. I always tend to do a milk wash on a pastry lid of this small size otherwise you’re wasting an egg and you get the same golden colour.
Serves 4
Ingredients – 1 tbsp cooking oil – 300g mixed, cubed game – 50g flour – bacon lardons – handful shallots – glass of red wine – ½ pint stock – handful of parsley – ready rolled shortcrust or puff pastry – 3 tbsp milk
Fresh parsley adds extra flavour to the tender meat
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200oC.
2. Heat the oil in a casserole dish, coat the game in the flour and add to the oil. Remove and set aside when well browned.
3. Fry off the bacon and shallots in the dish, then return the game.
4. Add the wine and then the stock on a high heat, bring to the boil, turn down to a simmer for an hour.
5. Stir in the parsley and let the mixture cool to room temperature.
6. Line a pie dish or individual pie dishes with pastry and make a lid and assemble the pie.
7. Brush the pastry with milk and bake in the preheated oven for about an hour until the pastry is golden.
Enjoyed this recipe? Then check out Shini’s blog, The Introverted Chilli.