lhommedieu
12-02-2010, 05:16 PM
Writing the Hassepfeffer post got me thinking about a rabbit and duck pie that I had in Colonial Williamsburg about 30 years ago. I googled what I remembered and found the following recipe. I can remember putting raspberry jam on the top of the pastry before eating it, and the jam mixing into the brown sauce...
King's Arms Tavern Colonial Game Pie
SERVES 8
This classic KIngs Arms favorite is made of venison, duck, rabbit, and rich brown sauce laced with currant jelly, all beneath a crusty pastry top.
1 duck (4-5 pounds) 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to 1/2 cup seedless currant jelly
taste 1/2 pound sliced bacon, cut into 1-inch
1 rabbit (2-21/2 pounds), cut into 8 pieces
pieces 10 ounces mushrooms, cleaned,
1 pound fillet or shoulder of venison, trimmed, and halved or quartered
trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1 (10-ounce) package frozen pearl
1/4 cup vegetable oil onions, thawed
1 cup Port 1 large egg
3 cups Brown Sauce (recipe follows) 2 tablespoons milk
1 clove garlic, minced 2 recipes Pie Pastry
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Season the duck inside and out with salt and pepper. On a rack in a large roasting pan, place the duck breast side up. Roast for 30 minutes, reduce the temperature to 325°F., and roast until the juices run clear when pierced with a fork at the thickest part of the thigh, or 20-22 minutes per pound. Remove from the pan and cool.
In a large covered casserole or Dutch oven, place the rabbit. Pour in enough water to barely cover the bottom of the casserole. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over medium heat, turning the pieces often, until tender, about 1 hour. Add small amounts of water if necessary to prevent scorching.
Remove the rabbit from the casserole and cool.
Season the venison with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over high heat, heat the oil. Add the venison and cook, stirring often, until the cubes are lightly browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove the venison to a plate or platter and pour off the fat from the skillet. Pour the Port into the skillet and return to the heat. Cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits in the bottom of the pan, until the Port has reduced by halt; about 5 minutes. Return the venison to the skillet and pour in the brown sauce. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and simmer until the venison is very tender, about 30-45 minutes for fillet or 60 minutes for shoulder. Stir occasionally.
Meanwhile, remove all skin, bones, and gristle from the duck and the rabbit. Cut the duck and rabbit into 1 1/2-2-inch pieces and add to the skillet with the venison. Season the mixture with the garlic and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in the currant jelly and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and cool completely. (The recipe can be prepared ahead up to this point. It keeps refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.)
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, fry the bacon until crisp, 3-5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and drain on paper towels. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the skillet. Return the skillet to the heat and add the mush- rooms. Cook, stirring often, until softened and lightly browned, about 7-10 minutes. Pat dry the onions.
Divide the venison mixture into 8 (2-cup capacity) individual greased casserole dishes. Add equal amounts of the mushrooms, bacon, and onions. In a small bowl, mix the egg and milk to make an egg wash.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Rollout the pastry to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Cut out circles large enough to seal the edges to the rim to top each casserole; Use the tip of a sharp paring knife to cut a small hole in the center to allow the steam to escape. Prick the pastry with a fork and brush with the egg wash. Bake at 350°F. for 25-30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Serve piping hot.
Brown Sauce
MAKES I QUART
1/4 cup (l/2 stick) unsalted butter 1 tablespoon bottled brown gravy
1 cup flour sauce
1/2 cup tomato puree Salt and freshly ground black pepper to
2 quarts hot Beef Stock (page 29) or taste
low-salt canned beef stock Caramel color (optional)
1 tablespoon powdered beef bouillon or 1 beef bouillon cube
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and stir until the mixture is lightly browned. Stir in the tomato puree, beef stock, and bouillon. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring often, until the mixture is smooth and slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to very low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced by half; about 2 hours.
Add the bottled brown gravy sauce, season with salt and pepper, and add the caramel coloring, if desired. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and cool. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Pie Pastry
MAKES ENOUGH FOR 1 SINGLE-CRUST 10-INCH PIE
2 cups flour
1/3 cup chilled vegetable shortening or 1 teaspoon salt lard
2 tablespoons sugar (for sweet pastry)
1/3 Cup ice water, or more as needed
1/3 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
Into a large bowl, sift the flour with the salt and sugar, if using. Add the butter and shortening and cut into small pieces with 2 knives or a pastry cutter. (Alternatively, in the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, salt, and sugar and pulse once or twice to blend. Add the butter and shortening and process until the mixture resembles the texture of coarse meal, about 10 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl.)
Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the water. Mix quickly with a fork to form a soft dough. Add another 1-2 tablespoons cold water if the dough appears to be too dry. Turn out onto a floured work surface and work gently into a rough ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. (The pastry dough can be made up to a day in advance.)
***
Best,
Steve
King's Arms Tavern Colonial Game Pie
SERVES 8
This classic KIngs Arms favorite is made of venison, duck, rabbit, and rich brown sauce laced with currant jelly, all beneath a crusty pastry top.
1 duck (4-5 pounds) 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to 1/2 cup seedless currant jelly
taste 1/2 pound sliced bacon, cut into 1-inch
1 rabbit (2-21/2 pounds), cut into 8 pieces
pieces 10 ounces mushrooms, cleaned,
1 pound fillet or shoulder of venison, trimmed, and halved or quartered
trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1 (10-ounce) package frozen pearl
1/4 cup vegetable oil onions, thawed
1 cup Port 1 large egg
3 cups Brown Sauce (recipe follows) 2 tablespoons milk
1 clove garlic, minced 2 recipes Pie Pastry
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Season the duck inside and out with salt and pepper. On a rack in a large roasting pan, place the duck breast side up. Roast for 30 minutes, reduce the temperature to 325°F., and roast until the juices run clear when pierced with a fork at the thickest part of the thigh, or 20-22 minutes per pound. Remove from the pan and cool.
In a large covered casserole or Dutch oven, place the rabbit. Pour in enough water to barely cover the bottom of the casserole. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over medium heat, turning the pieces often, until tender, about 1 hour. Add small amounts of water if necessary to prevent scorching.
Remove the rabbit from the casserole and cool.
Season the venison with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over high heat, heat the oil. Add the venison and cook, stirring often, until the cubes are lightly browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove the venison to a plate or platter and pour off the fat from the skillet. Pour the Port into the skillet and return to the heat. Cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits in the bottom of the pan, until the Port has reduced by halt; about 5 minutes. Return the venison to the skillet and pour in the brown sauce. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and simmer until the venison is very tender, about 30-45 minutes for fillet or 60 minutes for shoulder. Stir occasionally.
Meanwhile, remove all skin, bones, and gristle from the duck and the rabbit. Cut the duck and rabbit into 1 1/2-2-inch pieces and add to the skillet with the venison. Season the mixture with the garlic and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in the currant jelly and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and cool completely. (The recipe can be prepared ahead up to this point. It keeps refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.)
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, fry the bacon until crisp, 3-5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and drain on paper towels. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the skillet. Return the skillet to the heat and add the mush- rooms. Cook, stirring often, until softened and lightly browned, about 7-10 minutes. Pat dry the onions.
Divide the venison mixture into 8 (2-cup capacity) individual greased casserole dishes. Add equal amounts of the mushrooms, bacon, and onions. In a small bowl, mix the egg and milk to make an egg wash.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Rollout the pastry to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Cut out circles large enough to seal the edges to the rim to top each casserole; Use the tip of a sharp paring knife to cut a small hole in the center to allow the steam to escape. Prick the pastry with a fork and brush with the egg wash. Bake at 350°F. for 25-30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Serve piping hot.
Brown Sauce
MAKES I QUART
1/4 cup (l/2 stick) unsalted butter 1 tablespoon bottled brown gravy
1 cup flour sauce
1/2 cup tomato puree Salt and freshly ground black pepper to
2 quarts hot Beef Stock (page 29) or taste
low-salt canned beef stock Caramel color (optional)
1 tablespoon powdered beef bouillon or 1 beef bouillon cube
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and stir until the mixture is lightly browned. Stir in the tomato puree, beef stock, and bouillon. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring often, until the mixture is smooth and slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to very low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced by half; about 2 hours.
Add the bottled brown gravy sauce, season with salt and pepper, and add the caramel coloring, if desired. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and cool. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Pie Pastry
MAKES ENOUGH FOR 1 SINGLE-CRUST 10-INCH PIE
2 cups flour
1/3 cup chilled vegetable shortening or 1 teaspoon salt lard
2 tablespoons sugar (for sweet pastry)
1/3 Cup ice water, or more as needed
1/3 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
Into a large bowl, sift the flour with the salt and sugar, if using. Add the butter and shortening and cut into small pieces with 2 knives or a pastry cutter. (Alternatively, in the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, salt, and sugar and pulse once or twice to blend. Add the butter and shortening and process until the mixture resembles the texture of coarse meal, about 10 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl.)
Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the water. Mix quickly with a fork to form a soft dough. Add another 1-2 tablespoons cold water if the dough appears to be too dry. Turn out onto a floured work surface and work gently into a rough ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. (The pastry dough can be made up to a day in advance.)
***
Best,
Steve