www.sausagemaking.org

Hi All,

It's the time of year that my other half dreads because I get up at all hours of the day and the dog is always dirty!! Either way I think game is one of the most under rated meat sources in this country and forms a vast proportion of the meat course in my house.

Every year in January me and my freinds see who can make a game pie with the greatest variety. My best effort was last year with

Venison, Pheasant, Mallard, Partridge, Woodcock, Pigeon and Rabbit. I lost out to a snipe by my mate Sean!!

Anyway, here's what I do.

I take about 3lbs of various boned game and cut it into 1" cubes. Lightly roll the meat in plain flour and fry off in small batches on a high heat until the meat is nicely browned. Reserve the cooked meat in a bowl.

Dice a large onion (or better still 8-10 shallots) finely and gently gook it in the oil left in the meat pan. The onion should deglaze the pan a little. Don't brown the onions, just cook till soft. Add the meat to the onions with any juices and add a crushed clove of Garlic.

While this is cooking gently, mix up the folowing in two pints of boiling water:

1 Chicken Stock cube
1 Beeef Stock cube
Half a jar of Black Cherry Jam (about 2 large table spoons.)
A bouqut Garni
2-3 Bay leaves

Back in the pan (which should be fairly dry) take the temperature up and add a half a glass of Brandy. Let it reduce/flame well and then add the stock mixture and a tin of pitted cherries.

Simmer down on a low heat for an hour or so until the meat is softened and the stock has reduced/thickened. season to tasteand remove the Bay and Bouquet Garni.

Take the pre rolled puff pastryand place a heaped portion of the meat mix in the front third of the pastry oblong. Then fold over and seal with egg/milk wash.

I cut some small slits diagnally in the top of the pie to let the steam out when I bake it.


I;'ve also used the recipe to make small pasties (cut the meat smaller) which I serve cold on shoot days. They would be great with some of those chutneys that have been posted elsewhere!!!

Rgds,
FB

Very nice, FB, I will have to give this a try. I made one similar to this, but without the jam. I aded other fresh herbs (chervil, thyme) and one cup of cream to the reduction, with 1 smalled diced potato and 1/2 cup peas.

Very nice as well.

Hi FB

OOI I made some individual game pies this weekend using a variety of game meat and used the same type of spices as posted for a pork oie. I also added some sausage meat for a little fat and some chopped smoked bacon. I cooked these in a non stick muffin tin, and the result was very good. I tend to use berries like cranberries or sultana's soaked in somthing or other and add them to the mix - isn't the game season a wonderful thing!

My personal favourite (son and daughter as well) is pigeon breasts fried in a mix of olive oil and butter with a little garlic. 3 mins on one side, turn and two on the other and then into a warm oven for 10 mins. Whilst in the oven deglaze the pan with port or a good bodied red, add a table spoon of redcurrant jelly and if liked a little cream once it has come off the heat. Lay out some salad on your plate, cut the pigeon breasts into a fan and place on top of the salad and pour over the sauce - best starter ever!

Price of pigeon in the shops here? �1.25!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers WW................

Wiz that sounds great.

I actually had a brace of pigeon in the game fridge from Saturday so I got home last night and plaucked and breasted them off. I really think they are under rated, and like you say somee of the restaurants near where I work charge �7-�9 for the starter you just mentioned!!!

I have just picked up 900 acres of crop protection pigeon shooting for next year so I'm looking forward to adding this to my regulars list!!


Vinner,

I really like Thyme in gamey stews. I'll try it inthe pie next time round too.

Rgds,
FB

Hi FB

Could not agree more re pigeon. it is without dought the most underated game meat ever. I am very lucky as I can walk to the woods from my house for an evenings roost and I harvest all I need, but a day over decoys is the best there is in my opinion.

I tried to smoke pigeon breasts the other month but they were too dry so they are usually cooked in my house the way I mentioned previously or go into a mixed game casserole which cooks for hours. It is interesting this season because now you have to be qualified to handle game off the shoots a lot of the smaller shoots cant afford / dont see the need to get registered therefore I have had a number pf phone calls asking if I want pheasants FOC! On sunday I picked up 10 brace - hence the mini game pies.........

Cheers WW

WW and FB:

How do you define a brace? Sorry it doesn't translate.

Try this (from Texas). Soak the pigeon breasts in beer for 4 hours (or overnight) Rinse, dry, place a piece of jalapeno (raw, seeded) in the chest cavity, wrap with a thin slice of bacon, and grill over relatively hi heat (mesquite wood rules). Drink with beer.

Or (from the deep south) soak in buttermilk, rinse dry, add salt, pepper, press into flour, dip into 1 egg beaten with 1/4 cup beer, back into flour (roll and press alot of flour onto breast the 2nd time). Deep fry at 375 F. Drink with beer.

Brace
(plural brace) pair: a pair of similar things such as wild birds or animals, hunting dogs, or pistols.

Dave

Thank you, Dave.

Thanks for the recipes Vinner the beer one looks good - will give it a go

Cheers WW

Ref brace: As SC said it is a name for two birds normally strung together. A normal brace would consist of a cock and a hen bird.

Incidentally,

Most of our gamebirds are counted by the brace here in the UK but the only exception to the rule is Snipe. They are counted in couples, so 7 snipe would be thre and a half couple of snipe.

Deer are refered to as individuals, but the hunts report their foxes as a number of brace for the season too.

I think the term only refers to birds/animals bagged though. If you saw ten pheasants in a field then they would still be ten pheasants until they ended up in the game larder in which case they would become five brace!!!

I was trying to explain various bits of tradition and ettiquette to my girlfriends mate last week who was coming out beating for his second time. I didn't realise how complicated it can all get until I had to explain it!!!

Rgds,
FB

I have a rather good book named Game Cookery by Angela Humphreys, who also writes as Guidwife in the 'Sporting Gun'. Which is no doubt a publication you are familiar with.

Pete,

You are raising ghosts here for me. 'Sporting Gun' was the brainchild of my father in law, his picture is on the cover of the first issue looking down both barrels of his twelve bore. 'Trout and Salmon' was one of his as well.

Sadly he has passed on now, but he certainly kept me supplied with game birds and salmon and trout while he was with us.

Cheers

Jen

If any of you hunting fishing types have heard of James Marchington he is my cousin

Dave

'Sporting Shooter' ?

Jen,

I think Sporting Shooter is another magazine that is quite recent.

I defrosted my freezer yesterday so that I have space moving into Xmas. I hopeing to make some game sausages. In fact I'l put a post up to try and get some specific recipies.


Rgds,
FB