Cooking Wild Game

The hunting season is over.   I bet you have some small packages of game meat that your not sure what to do with.  Here is the answer....a game pie. 

I made several yesterday and "re-learned" a few lessons. 

• It takes time to put this together, several hours.
• You have to use current jelly, no kidding, and it's sometimes hard to find at the grocery store.  Don't over do it with the jelly.
• Yep, you can use several meats in one pie.  Yesterday I combined duck, chucker, chicken and lamb.
• I used a better quality pastry shell and it is worth the expense.  The cheaper pie shells were OK but that is about it.
• Corning Ware single serving/individual Casserole dishes (about six inches in diameter) worked nicely.
• If you are going to take the time to cook one batch, you might as well cook three, or four or five.....you're in the kitchen, make the most of your time.

 So here is the rest of the story:

            This truly outstanding recipe came from the November 1996, Food and Drink section from Sports Afield.  I paraphrase the following from the article:  “Back in the Elizabethan era meat pies were created to be the most impressive and lavish of all dishes...Game pies were a way to celebrate the extraordinary variety of birds and animals...The best pies always have more than one kind of game bird or animal baked in them.  This recipe is adapted from one served at the Kings Arms Tavern in Colonial Williamsburg.”  When without game, use chicken, turkey or tender beef cuts.

            Salt and pepper 1/2 pound (each of cubed venison, duck breast, wild boar or rabbit loin.

            Dust with flower then brown in a skillet over medium-high heat in 4 Tbsp of vegetable oil.  Remove from skillet.

            Saute two slices bacon that have been cut into 1 inch pieces.  Remove them           from the pan. 

           Melt 2 Tbsp of butter in the skillet and add 2 diced carrots, 1 diced celery, 10 diced mushrooms and 1/2 cup of blanched pearl onions.  Saute for 3 minutes then remove from the skillet.

          Lower the heat, stir in 4 Tbsp of flour and cook for 2 minutes while stirring.  Raise      the heat to medium and add 2 cups of game stock or beef stock....bring to a boil then simmer for 2 minutes.

         Return the meats and vegetables to the skillet; add 1 bay leaf and 2 Tbsp of   currant jelly (don’t scrimp here).  Cover the pan and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.

         Add the mixture to a large casserole dish and top with pastry dough, brush with a wash of 1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp of water, cut several vents in the top to allow steam to escape.  Place on a pan/sheet and cook at 400 for 35 to 40 minutes, until the crust is brown.  Or, freeze the oven ready pie for serving later.