British Hand-Raised Game Pie

Name: British Hand-Raised Game Pie
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 3 h
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 1 pound meat; 1 pound pork shoulder; 8 lices Bacon; 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms; 1 large yellow onion; 1 tablespoon ground juniper berries; 1 tablespoon chopped lovage or parsley; 2 teaspoons dried thyme; 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper; 1 pinch salt; 1 1/2 cups water or milk; 12 ounces lard or butter; 2 pounds all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons salt; 2 eggs; 2 tablespons milk; 2 cups gelatin-rich stock

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Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
2 hrs
Total Time
3 hrs
Servings
8 servings
Calories
964 kcal
Course
Main Course, Appetizer, Snacks, Lunch
Cuisine
British

British Hand-Raised Game Pie

Elizabeth Hodge

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These are great pies to make for a hunting trip, a picnic, brunch or lunch. They keep a long time, and are worth the effort to make them. What follows is a recipe for 4 largish pies using the Master Class pie tins. If you don't use these, your results may vary in terms of the amount of dough and filling to make.

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Ingredients

Servings

FILLING

1 pound meat, grouse breasts, pheasant, venison, duck, whatever
1 pound pork shoulder
8 lices Bacon (optional)
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 tablespoon ground juniper berries (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped lovage or parsley
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pinch salt

DOUGH

1 1/2 cups water or milk
12 ounces lard or butter
2 pounds all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt

TO FINISH

2 eggs
2 tablespons milk
2 cups gelatin-rich stock (see above)

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Instructions

FILLING

Fry the bacon in a large pan to render the fat. Remove the bacon when it's crispy. Eat a piece and chop up the rest. Use the fat to cook the onions and mushrooms. Cook over medium-high heat until nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Let this cool.
Chop or grind the game meat and pork shoulder. I prefer to grind the pork and dice the game meat, especially if I am using the breasts of upland birds or waterfowl. Mix this with the cooled onions, bacon and mushrooms, along with the herbs, spices and a healthy pinch of salt, about a teaspoon or so.

DOUGH

Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Heat the lard and milk or water in a pot to the steaming point. Maybe 130°F tops, so not overly hot. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour the hot liquids in. Mix into a shaggy dough, then knead until it comes together. You want a soft dough, so you might need to add a little more water. If so, do so 1 tablespoon at a time.
Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces. Now cut each piece into a 1/3 portion and a 2/3 portion. This is your pie and lid. Keep these pieces covered so they don't dry out when you are making each pie.

MAKING THE PIES

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Roll out the large piece for a pie until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Set it in the pie tin and press it all around to conform to the edges. You want a little to drape over the edges of the tin.
Fill the pie with filling, making a little mound at the top. Roll out the small piece of dough for the top, and set that on the filling. Crimp the edges to seal, and remove any excess dough.
Cut a hole in the top of the pie. Use the excess dough to make a little ring to line that hole. Now repeat this whole process with the remaining dough and filling.
When all your pies are made, beat the eggs with the water or milk to make an egg wash. Paint the tops of the pies with this. Set the tins on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour.
Check on the pies, which should be looking good. If the tops are getting too brown, cover them loosely with foil. Bake 1 more hour, or until the center of the pie reads 165°F on a thermometer. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the pies start to cool.
While that's happening, heat up your gelatin-rich stock. Use a funnel if you have one to fill the pies with this stock, little by little. It will fill any air pockets or gaps in the pie, and this makes the pies keep longer. When you're done, let the pies cool to room temperature before chilling overnight in the fridge. Eat cold or at room temperature.

Notes

To make the gelatin-rich stock, you will want to dissolve 1 tablespoon of standard, supermarket gelatin to every 2 cups of stock. This will help it set up. Do not use less than this amount, and you can go as high as 1 tablespoon per cup.
If you are using a pie dolly, you will want to cut the dough into 6 initial pieces instead of 4 because it's narrower, so you'll have more pies that are smaller. Grease the dolly with butter or lard, then wrap the dough around the dolly a little taller than you want the pie.
Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit around the sides of the pie, tie it in place with string, and carefully remove the dolly. Set this in the freezer for about 15 minutes to firm up, then remove the parchment paper, fill the pie and proceed as above.

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Calories 964kcal (48%) Carbohydrates 90g (30%) Protein 37g (74%) Fat 50g (77%) Saturated Fat 27g (135%) Polyunsaturated Fat 4g Monounsaturated Fat 15g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 218mg (73%) Sodium 1076mg (45%) Potassium 614mg (18%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 2g (4%) Vitamin A 1191IU (24%) Vitamin C 3mg (3%) Calcium 56mg (6%) Iron 8mg (44%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 964 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	964kcal	48%
Carbohydrates	90g	30%
Protein	37g	74%
Fat	50g	77%
Saturated Fat	27g	135%
Polyunsaturated Fat	4g	24%
Monounsaturated Fat	15g	75%
Trans Fat	1g	50%
Cholesterol	218mg	73%
Sodium	1076mg	45%
Potassium	614mg	13%
Fiber	4g	16%
Sugar	2g	4%
Vitamin A	1191IU	24%
Vitamin C	3mg	3%
Calcium	56mg	6%
Iron	8mg	44%