Gamekeeper's Pie

By: Deborah

The pie filling is rich, delicious and full of flavour, and the potato and root veg topping is the perfect combination!

PREP: 25

COOK: 2 15

TOTAL: 2 40

Servings: 6 people

50 g (1.8 oz) butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion chopped
2 carrots peeled and diced
700 g (1.5 lb) mixed game meat (partridge, pigeon, pheasant, rabbit and hare all work well) deboned and cut into 3cm pieces (see Notes)
300 g (10.6 oz) pack venison sausages (about 6 sausages) removed from their skins
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp tomato purée
150 ml (½ cup) red wine
500 ml (2 ¼ cups) chicken or beef stock (made from a stock cube or pot)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
4 tsp thyme leaves chopped
400 g (0.9 lb) potatoes (eg: Maris Piper) peeled and cut into 2 to 3cm chunks
600 g (1.3 lb) mixed root vegetable (use parsnips, celeriac, swede or turnips) peeled and cut into 2 to 3cm chunks
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp milk (I use semi-skimmed)

Heat half the butter and the oil in a large pan on a medium heat, add the onion and carrots, and cook for about 10 minutes until soft. Add the game and sausage meat to the pan. Turn up the heat, squash the sausage meat with the back of your spoon to break it up, and cook for 10 minutes until nicely browned.
Stir the flour and tomato purée into the meat, cook for 1 minute, then add the wine, stock, Worcestershire sauce, bay and 3 tsp of the thyme. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat, cover with a lid and cook for 1 hour.
Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Meanwhile, put the potatoes and root vegetables in a large pan, cover with water, bring to the boil and cook for 20 minutes until very tender. Drain, leave to steam for 5 minutes, then mash with seasoning, milk and the remaining butter.
Remove the lid from the meat and cook for 15 minutes more until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened.
Tip the meat into an ovenproof dish and spoon on the mash. Sprinkle with the remaining thyme and bake for 45 minutes until the top is golden and the sauce is bubbling.

Game meat – feel free to tailor this pie to suit whatever game is in season - add more matured meat if you like a strong game flavour.
This gamekeeper’s pie recipe is easily adapted if you’re cooking for less or more people.

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

KEYWORDS comfort food, game, mashed potatoes, partridge, pheasant, pigeon, rabbit, root veg mash, venison sausages, winter warmer

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