An all-time family favourite and a great way to use up a mix of birds in your freezer when you have numbers to feed. You can use any mixture of game for this delicious pie – pheasant, hare, grouse, partridge, rabbit or duck; the more variety the better. Quiz your guests to see if they can recognize what you have used!
Ingredients
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675g/1½lb mixed game meat such as pheasant, partridge, hare and rabbit, boned
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225g/8oz venison steak cut into 2.5cm/1in cubes
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2 tbsp sunflower oil
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2 red onions, peeled and sliced
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120g/4oz smoked streaky bacon, rind off and chopped
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120g/4oz chestnut mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
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1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
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30g/1oz plain flour
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1 bay leaf
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1 orange, zest and juice
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1 tbsp redcurrant jelly
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300ml/½ pint chicken stock
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300ml/½ pint red wine
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340g/12oz puff pastry
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Salt and pepper
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beaten egg, for glazing
Preparation method
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Heat a tablespoon of the oil and brown the game and venison in batches until well browned. Keep on one side.
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Heat the rest of the oil and cook the onions for five minutes until starting to soften. Add the garlic, bacon and mushrooms and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
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Stir in the flour and cook for two minutes. Season well and stir in the bay leaf, orange zest and juice, redcurrant jelly, stock and wine.
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Bring to the boil, add the meat and simmer gently for 40-50 minutes until the meat is tender. Cool.
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Heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
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Put the meat mixture in a pie dish. Roll out the pastry to make a lid and attach to the dish. Decorate with the pastry trimmings and cut a steam hole in the centre. Glaze with beaten egg.
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Bake for 20 minutes and then reduce the heat to 180C/350F/Gas 4 for 30 minutes until the pastry is golden and risen and the filling is piping hot.
Serving Suggestion
Try serving this with a delicious, creamy celeriac and potato mash.
Find more inspiration in our recipes section.