Clarence's Game Pie

[Clarence]

So have just made up some game pie for the festive period. Here is what went into it.

1 Hare (Blood and liver saved for the sauce)
1 Pheasant
2 Partridge
1/2 Kg Venison stewing steak diced
3 large red onions
250g chestnut mushrooms
100g wild french mushrooms
1 juice and zest from whole orange
30g plain flour
3 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tbsp redcurrent jelly
glass red wine ( a nice Bordeaux )
500ml chicken stock
175g smoked streaky bacon
2 bay leaves
salt n pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil
puff pastry
egg

So to start off with the pheasant went into the oven and slow cooked in an oven dish with red wine, chicken stock, onion, garlic and a bay leaf. The venicon cubes and whole partridge were browned off in a frying pan with a bit of brandy then added to an electric slow cooker with the same stock as the pheasant. This was cooked on low for 10hrs. I also cooked the Hare in the slow cooker next. The hare had to be jointed first otherwise it was not gonna fit in. This i cooked on high for 4 hours the low for 6 hours just submerged in water.

After all the meat was cooked and off the bone it was diced into fair size chunks.

So going clockwise from the top. 2 partridge, 1 whole hare, 1 whole pheasant and 1/2 kg venison.


Partridge



Hare


Pheasant


Venison



Then mixed them all together


Next the I cooked the onions and garlic til starting to soften and added the mushrooms and chopped streaky bacon. After cooking for anothe couple of mins added about 30g plain flour and cooked a further min or so. Then in went the redcurrent jelly, freshly squeezed orange just and zest and about 700 ml of the stock from cooking the pheasant and partridge.

Then i transfered the whole lot into a large pan and seasoned with salt and pepper. Brought it up to the boil then slowly simmered for 15 mins.

Once it had cooled down I filled two large and one small pie dishes up. This is when you add your hare blood n wine mixture. This was made by putting the blood, chopped liver and red wine in a frying pan the draining off about a cup n a half of the juice. Schlurp schlurp. ftftftftftft.

Since the larger ones are for xmas time they have been frozen and I will put the puff pastry lid on them prior to cooking. The little one, made for a very nice friendly bar maid at my local pub, I put the puff pastry lid on straight away. Delivered it too it's owner and handed over final cooking instructions.

So pie needs to have an egg wash on the pastry. Then pre-heat oven to 200 C and cook for 20 mins. Then turn down to 180 C and cook til golden brown and contents piping hot. I am a basic english man so i would have some new potatoes, carrots, turnip and maybe some mashed swede. Cauliflour and brocolli can also be good.


Three pies






N.B. All that I had left over at the end was maybe 200g or so of hare. Would not recommend trying to eat it on it's own tho. Quite a potent tasting meat.

 

[puronerd]

im glad to see someones cooking good munchies besides the same borning snacks that are only made intresting by adding thc. keep it up

 

[TwoOhSix!]

What do you eat it with? Bread? Looks interestingly good.

 

[Clarence]

So ate it on xmas eve. Am enjoying xmas with my grandparents right now so will post up a final few pics and stuff later. But it was good. Take it from my 90 year old grandad who was a butcher and game proffesional ( Poacher ) from the age of 14. Hehehehe. Was my first game pie and was a success. Am chuffed

 

[Clarence]

What do you eat it with? Bread? Looks interestingly good.

Ate it with mashed swede. Mashed with butter, a bit of milk and some pepper. No salt as grandad has blood pressure probs. Some new potatoes And some red currant jelly.

 

[hyposomniac]

can you describe the texture of the meat after the long cooking time?

 

[Clarence]

The meat was as tender as you can imagine. Since it was browned of in armagnac most of it did not fall apart. The partridge howver did not fair as well and did but that gave the sauce a nice texture. The hare on the other hand was still quit solid through but was quite flake when eaten. I am guessing, since it is the first time i have dealt with hare, that it is a tough meat anyway. I looked at a recipe for what they call Jugged Hare but the process was not suitable for my pie. IMO. Wow is hare quite a potent meat. I tried it by it's self. Let's say it is an aquired taste. I had more photos on my touch screen phone but sinde i sat on it you cannot see much anymore and so far have not been able to retrieve anything. Soon as I can i will post them.

can you describe the texture of the meat after the long cooking time?

 

[happyherb]

hey.....i love cooking...more so finding out some tricks to make my dish stand out....so i ask....what does the 1 1/2 tbsp red current jelly do? ..thanks.HH. =]-~

 

[Clarence]

hey.....i love cooking...more so finding out some tricks to make my dish stand out....so i ask....what does the 1 1/2 tbsp red current jelly do? ..thanks.HH. =]-~

Red current jelly is often used with game to offset the 'gamey taste'. Redcurrent jelly tastes a little more tart but still adds the sweetness needed to balance out the strong tasting game. Especially the Hare and the venison. At least that's my reasoning for it. If there happens to be another explaination I am all ears. Guess it is similar to having apple sauce with pork.

Edit: other recipes i found put more red current jelly in but I am more a sour than sweet tooth. Just my preference. Dont even do sugar in me tea or coffee.

 

[happyherb]

im the same no suger in the coffee....i dont have / or use game meat but still the jelly caught my eye...i'll have to try it out with something and except your explanation for your use .thanks.hh.=]-~

 

[Clarence]

So i have gone n bought meself a wabbit. Over the next few days I will attempt to make a traditional wabbit pie from my late but great grandmama! The only difference, hopefully, will be that mine will be missing the lead shot that my grans often had in it since Ole Uncle Brian used to go out onto the Pennines with his double barrel to get the little buggers.

 

[Clarence]

Ok so i screwed up my camera. There will be no photo log of the rabbit pie. In the end it pretty much looks like any other pie. Was a lot less ingredients in though. Some diced carrots, wild french mushrooms, chestnut mushrooms, one whole wabbit ( slow cooked after being sealed in a frying pan), bay leaves, fresh thyme, salt n pepper, chicken stock, onions finely chopped, garlic, corn flour to thicken and then organic country cider in the stock.

Conclusion is that i much prefer rabbit to hare. A much sweeter tasting meat that does not dry out like the hare. Once the rabbit hadf slow cooked on low for 8 hours it pretty mush fell of the bone. I prefer doing it this way as you get all the meat and find all the little bones as opposed to trying to strip uncooked flesh of bone.

Anyway i think that will be the end of the pie thing for now. I reckon that I will be moving on to something like beef wellington. Still involves pastry but not a pie.