Two recipes for pheasant pies

Sporting Gun

Who doesn't like a pie? They're great to take out as a snack in the field, for a picnic or to have for a hearty supper. So here's two recipes for delicious pheasant pies. One uses a ladle to create the shape, which is unusual but it works well!

Pheasant pie with sausagemeat

Ingredients:

  • 2 pheasant breasts
  • 150g puff pastry
  • 6 chopped chestnuts
  • 1 sausage (skinned)
  • 2 tbsp mashed potato
  • 2 chopped spring onions
  • handful chopped parsley
  • salt and pepper
  • glug of brandy
  • thyme
  • 1 crushed garlic clove
  • 2 eggs
  • plain flour

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 170 degrees
  2. Cut the pheasant breasts into evenly sized small cubes.
  3. Put the sausage, one egg and chopped chestnuts in a bowl, along with the chopped parsley, and mix together with the chopped spring onion and mashed potato.
  4. Fry the meat to seal in a pan with thyme and garlic, season with salt and pepper and add a glug of brandy.
  5. Set to one side to cool and then add to the sausage mix.
  6. Sprinkle flour on a clean surface, roll the pastry out and line a ladle, making sure that there is some overhang.
  7. Fill the ladle with the meat mix.
  8. Paint the edges with egg wash and then fold over
    to seal.
  9. Remove from the ladle by turning it over and place in the fridge on a plate for about 10 minutes for the pastry to harden off.
  10. Score the pie from the middle downwards all the way around.
  11. Paint with egg wash.
  12. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes at 170 degrees making sure the top doesn’t burn.
  13. Remove and eat either hot or cold.

Farmhouse kitchen

Farmhouse pheasant pie (serves 4-6)

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

  • 1 oz butter
  • 1/2lb bacon, diced
  • 1 chopped onion
  • 6oz chopped mushrooms
  • 2 cloves crushed garlic
  • 1 lb cooked pheasant, diced
  • 8 oz broccoli, blanched
  • 2 tsp chopped coriander
  • 2 chicken stock cubes
  • 1 pint white sauce
  • 2 tbsp double cream
  • 1/2 pint white wine
  • 8 oz frozen puff pastry
  • A little milk

Method

  1. Turn the oven to200°C
  2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, and fry the bacon, onion, mushrooms and crushed garlic for about eight minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Spoon everything into a pie dish, and add the pheasant, broccoli and coriander.
  4. Season and crumble over the stock cubes.
  5. Pour the white sauce over the mixture, add the cream and wine and stir gently.
  6. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface.
  7. Cover the pie with the pastry, and moisten the edges so it is well sealed.
  8. Brush with milk to glaze.
  9. Bake at 200°C for approximately 25 minutes until golden brown.