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Cold Raised Game Pie with Red Onion & Sloe Gin Marmalade

This game pie makes for a magnificent centrepiece! You can replace the venison with any mix of seasonal game - wild boar, rabbit, pheasant or wild pigeon. Cut the meat up large enough that individual pieces are evident when layering up, and remember to make sure different colours and flavours are evenly distributed

40 minutes, plus cooling prep, 3 hours cook

Serves 8

Ingredients

30g butter

2 shallots, chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

4 tbsps peaty Scotch malt whisky

150 ml reduced game stock or consommé

10 juniper berries, crushed

600g venison shoulder, minced

300g pork belly, minced

1 tbsp dried thyme

1–2 tsp mixed spice

2 tbsps marmalade

1–2 tbsps green peppercorns in brine, drained

200 g cubed pancetta (finely diced) or dry-cure streaky bacon

350g venison fillet or strip loin, cubed and chilled

500g French Butter Pie Pastry OR hot water crust pastry

1 egg, beaten, to glaze

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the red onion and sloe gin marmalade

100g unsalted butter

675g red onions, thinly sliced

1 ¼ tsps salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

100g caster sugar

6 tbsps sherry vinegar

3 tbsps sloe gin

2–3 tbsps redcurrant jelly

240ml red wine

Special kit

A 1.5-litre raised pie mould

Method

To make the onion marmalade, heat the butter in a saucepan until just turning golden. Add the onions, salt, pepper and sugar. Stir, cover the pan and cook gently, for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally,

Preheat the oven to 190°C/ Fan 170°C/ Gas 5. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the shallots and garlic and cook for 5 minutes until soft.

Stir in the whisky, game stock and half the crushed juniper berries. Boil hard to reduce by half, then strain through a sieve into a small bowl and leave to cool.

Mix the minced venison and pork with the thyme, mixed spice, remaining crushed juniper berries, marmalade and 11⁄2 teaspoons salt. Lightly crush the peppercorns and add to the mix.

Beat the reserved strained stock into the meat mix, then fold in the cubed pancetta. Cover and chill.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out two-thirds of the pastry to a manageable thickness and use it to line the pie mould, pressing well into all the nooks and crannies and making sure you have an overhang of pastry over the top edge.

Press a thin layer of the minced meat mixture over the bottom of the mould and cover with a layer of cubed venison. Season well.

Add another layer of minced meat and press down well. Repeat until all the meat is used up, ending with a layer of minced meat.

Roll out the remaining pastry for the lid. Brush the edges of the pie with the beaten egg and cover with the pastry lid. Press to seal, trim and crimp the edges.

Use the remaining pastry to cut out decorations and attach to the top of the pie with beaten egg. Brush the entire top with more egg, set in a baking pan and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes to set the pastry.

Reduce the oven to 150oC/Fan 140oC/ Gas 2 and cook for a further 1 3⁄4 hours. Remove from the oven, let cool for 20 minutes, then ease out of the mould. Leave to cool, then chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.