INGREDIENTS
150g (5oz) streaky bacon, snipped into pieces
1kg (2.2 lb) mixed game, cubed
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
75g (3oz) butter
60g (2½ oz) flour
600 ml (1 pint) chicken stock
200 ml (7floz) port
2 tablespoons red current jelly
1 whole orange
2 large onions, roughly chopped
salt and pepper
little gravy browning
1 x 390g jar pickled walnuts, drained and halved
500g (1lb) puff pastry
little beaten egg
Recipe continues
METHOD
Put the oil, game and bacon in a non-stick pan and brown over a high heat until sealed all over, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add butter to the pan and melt, sprinkle in the flour and gradually blend in the port, stock and redcurrant jelly. Bring to the boil, stirring, season with salt and pepper and add whole orange and chopped onion.
Cover and gently cook over a low heat for about 2 ½ hours or until the game is tender. Once the game is tender, lift the softened orange into a sieve, cut in half, stand over a bowl and push the orange through the sieve collecting the juices. Gradually stir the juice into the stew with the pickled walnuts, check seasoning.
Turn into a shallow large pie dish and place an inverted handless cup in the centre of the dish or a pie funnel. Pour game stew into dish and leave to cool overnight or until the filling is cold.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a little larger than the dish. Cut strips from around the pastry about 2.5cm (1”) wide to use on top of the lip of the pie dish. Wet the lip on the dish, lay the thin strips of pastry on top and brush with beaten egg. Carefully lift the rolled pastry on top of the dish and push down the edges so they stick to the pastry on the lip. Trim off any excess pastry and flute the edges. Glaze with beaten egg. Cut out shapes from the pastry trimmings, and use to decorate the top, glazing these with egg as well.
Bake in the centre of the preheated oven 220C for about 30-40 minutes, turning around halfway through, cooking until the gravy bubbles. If the pastry is getting too brown, cover loosely with foil. Remove when the pastry is golden brown and serve piping hot.