Raised game pie
Hot-water-crust pastry:
- 12/3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 extra-large egg
- 3½ tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3½ tablespoons lard
- 1/3 cup water
- 8 ounces boneless loin of venison
- 5 ounces boneless partridge, pheasant, or guinea fowl breasts
- 2 ounces thick-sliced lean bacon, fat trimmed, chopped
- 7 ounces fresh bulk pork or venison sausage
- 1 tablespoon each chopped fresh parsley and sage
- grated zest of 1 lemon
- 5 juniper berries, finely ground with a pinch of sea salt
- 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
Instructions:
A pie like this is perfect sustenance for a day out hunting or mushroom-picking.
- Begin by making the pastry. Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl and make a well in the middle. Crack the egg into the well and sprinkle some of the flour over the egg to cover it. Put the butter, lard, and water in a small pan and heat gently. Once the butter and lard have melted, increase the heat and bring to a boil.
- Pour the boiling water and fat around the edge of the bowl and quickly stir everything together using a table knife. Knead the dough lightly until smooth. It will be quite soft at this stage. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until the pastry is firm, at least 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Trim the game meat of any fat or sinew, then cut into ¾-inch cubes. Mix with the bacon, sausage, herbs, lemon zest, and crushed juniper berries and season with salt and pepper. Divide the mixture into four equal portions and roll into balls.
- Cut off one-third of the pastry for making the pie lids. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Roll out the remaining pastry on a lightly floured work surface to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out four 5½-inch-diameter circles. Roll out the reserved pastry to the same thickness, and cut out four 2¾-inch-diameter circles for the lids.
- Place a stuffing ball in the middle of each pastry base and place a lid on top. Brush the border of the pastry base with the egg wash, then mold it up and around the filling to meet the lid. Curl the edge of the lid up to meet the top inside edge of the pie case and pinch together to seal. Repeat to make the other three pies. Crimp the edges to decorate. Refrigerate until the pastry feels firm.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Make a neat steam hole in the center of each pie lid with a small knife. Bake the pies for 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven and brush evenly with the remaining egg wash. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and bake until the pastry is cooked and the center of the pie is hot, 20–30 minutes longer. To test, insert a metal skewer into the center of a pie for a few seconds, then feel it against your hand or lip: It should feel hot to the touch. Let the pies cool on a wire rack. Serve cold, with pickled onions and piccalilli.