RABBIT RABBIT RABBIT PIE

 

Beautiful ingredients make beautiful pies

 

 

 

Rendering down the back fat to make a gorgeous flavoured lard for the pastry, to do this ask your butcher for any back fat and cook at 200 degrees for approx 2 hrs, periodically draining off the fat that is rendered off, I then place this fat in a loaf tin for the shape and wrap in parchment paper and store in the fridge until needed.

 

 

 

The pastry in the making, simple but so yummy.

 

Makes 1 large pie or 3 small individual pies

 

Ingredients

1 wild rabbit

1 carrot peeled and diced

2 celery stick diced

1 leek fine diced

1 lrg onion fine diced

1 knob butter

1 glug oil

1 chicken jelly stock

300ml dry white wine

1 ltr water

2 bay leaves

6 whole black peppercorns

1 tsp dry mustard

1 pinch grated nutmeg

Seasoning

200ml double cream

 

For the Pastry

110g lard

100g butter

450g plain flour

160ml cold water

1 pinch sea salt

 

Make the pastry first, cold is the key here, place the flour and salt in a large bowl and then grate in the cold lard and butter and cut in with a knife, stir in the water and bring together to make a dough ball.  Wrap in clingfilm and chill for at least 1 hour.

 

FOR THE RABBIT PIE FILLING

In a deep saucepan or pressure cooker, saute off in the oil and butter the onion, celery, carrot and leek until soft, not coloured, add the wine and reduce by 1/3, add the water and then the jelly stock, the rabbit, bay, peppercorns, dry mustard, nutmeg and seasoning.  Bring to a simmer and cook for a couple of hours, if using a pressure cooker then cook for half an hour. 

 

Drain into a large colander and reserve the stock, pick all of the rabbit off  the bones and add to the stock, bring to a simmer add the cream and reduce a little, taste and season to taste.  The pie filling is now ready to use.

 

Roll out the pastry to fill your pie tin or mini tins, fill to the top, egg wash the rim and place the pie lid on top, bake in the oven for approx 30-40 minutes until the pasty is light and golden in colour and crispy to the touch.  If there is any left over filling use as extra gravy when serving.