This was the runner up entry in the recipe competition that Brown and Green ran over the summer.
Adam Whittaker’s Staffordshire Huntsman’s Pie uses premium quality Staffordshire ingredients to make a rich pie which certainly has the ‘wow factor’ – perfect for a family special occasion, and ideal when the preparation is also shared and enjoyed together.
Prep time: 1 hour plus. Cooking: 1.5-2 hours. Serves 6-8
For the filling:
250g smoked venison
250g smoked pigeon breast
1 bottle of beer
250g washed potatoes
250g parsnips
250g carrots
2 table spoons beetroot chutney
For the water pastry crust:
450g plain flour
2 table spoons caster sugar
1 free range egg. lightly beaten
100g cheddar style cheese, grated
200ml water
60g butter
100g lard
For the bacon jam:
500g smoked bacon
4 cloves garlic
tabasco, to taste
1 medium onion
3 table spoons brown sugar
1 cup freshly brewed coffee
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey
To make the bacon jam:
1. Fry the bacon in batches until lightly browned, cut into small peices
2. Fry chopped onion and garlic in the bacon fat on medium heat
3. Transfer bacon, garlic and onion to a heavy based pan, and add remaining ingredients
4. simmer for approx 1.5 hours, adding a cup of water every 20 mins
5. Cool slightly, then blend till finely textured
To make the filling:
1. In a little oil fry chopped venison and pigeon till browned
2. Add chutney to the pan and simmer
3. Boil all vegetables and mash together
4. Add 3/4 bottle of beer to the meat and chutney mixture, simmer until alcohol cooks off
5. Remove meat mixture from pan, and deglaze with remaining beer
6. Allow to rest
To make the pastry:
1. Mix flour and sugar together
2. In a well in the centre pour egg
3. Put lard, water and butter in a pan, heat gently till fat has melted and water boils
4. Pour mixture into the flour, stirring, till it forms a dough. Add grated cheese.
5. Knead until smooth, then roll.
6. Line a buttered baking tin/pie dish with the pastry, reserving enough for the lid
Putting the pie together:
1. Alternate a layer of meat mixture, and a layer of mash – 2 layers of each in the dish
2. Top with a thin layer of bacon jam
3. Pour over remaining liquid from deglazing pan
4. Top with pastry lid
5. Brush lid with beaten egg, and pierce several hols in the pastry lid
6. Bake at 180 degress celsius for 1.5 – 2 hours
7. Test if done by using a knife inserted into the centre, blade should be hot, pastry should be golden brown
8. Serve hot or cold, with a choice of salad or vegetables
Adam recommends….
…the following Staffordshire ingredients for his recipe, all available from Brown and Green at Trentham Estate
Staffordshire Fine Foods smoked venison and smoked pigeon, Lymestone Brewery beer, Kitchen’s at Horsley Beetroot and Cracked Black Pepper chutney, Hasbean Indonesian Java coffee, Staffordshire honey, Bertelin Staffordshire cheese.
Many thanks to Susie at the team at Brown and Green for running the competition and for allowing us to reprint the recipe.
