Emmett's Game Pie

Ingredients

Medium pie dish
1 puff pastry sheet (enough to cover base and top of pie dish)
Egg wash, 1 egg yolk, a drop of water

For the filling.

Hare loin (diced) 1lb
Rabbit leg or saddle off the bone (diced) 200g
Pheasant breasts (diced) 2
Wood pigeon breasts (sealed and cut in two) 4
Woodcock or Snipe breasts (sealed and cut in two) 2
Venison loin (diced) 500g
Streaky bacon (diced) 200g
Beef Jus or Chicken Gravy 1/2pt
Port 3 measures
Red wine 5 measures
Carrot (peeled and roughly chopped) 1
Medium onion (diced) 1
Cloves of garlic (chopped) 2
Juniper berries 10g
Fresh Thyme 1 small bunch tied
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to season

METHOD:

• Line the pie tin with puff pastry and cut to size, pin prick with fork and set in fridge to rest. In a heavy based pot add some olive oil, sweat all the vegetables without colour. Add all the game to pot excluding the pigeon and woodcock. When the game is sealed add port, red wine and gravy, add the thyme, juniper berries and bring to the boil and reduce the total volume by half, season with salt and pepper and add the sealed wood pigeon. Allow to cool before filling the pie dishes with the filling. Cut the puff pastry to fit the dish and cover the pie dish. Tie in the sides with a knife and brush the top with egg wash.
• Cook in a moderate oven GAS 6 .180 c for 30 to 40 min until golden brown. Serve with potatoes and vegetables in season or cold for lunch in summer with crusty bread.

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