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Pheasant Pie

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I was lucky enough to go on a pheasant shoot with Big Green Egg and the senior management team from Big Green Egg US a few years ago. I appreciate shooting isn't for everyone, but when a shoot is over, I'd prefer to see the birds used for a lovely meal than wasted.
I have a great friend in my village who loves shooting, and he's always more than happy to drop off a brace of pheasants as he knows we really appreciate them. We'll either make a casserole or sometimes a pie.
Don't be scared if someone offers you pheasants. There are easy ways to deal with them. More often than not, I will use a pair of scissors to snip the skin over the breasts, pull open the chest and, using a sharp knife, take off the two breasts, leaving the rest of the bird intact. You don't need to pluck them, you don't need to worry about the legs.
As for the shot, just watch out for it. Lead shot, while not great for the environment, is much better for your teeth should you bite into some. Ask if lead was used, if not you might want to search out steel shot as it will mess up your smile.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: British
Ingredients Equipment Method Video

Ingredients
  

  • 1 onion(s) chopped finely
  • 25 g butter
  • 2 sheet(s) ready rolled shortcrust pastry
  • 2 pheasant breasts
  • 100 g plain flour
  • 1 carrot(s) chopped into small chunks
  • 2 stick(s) celery chopped into small chunks
  • 150 g floury potato(es) cut into 7mm cubes
  • 2 chicken stock pot(s) Knorr
  • 150 ml white wine
  • 150 ml water
  • ground black pepper coarsely ground
  • 5 g fresh tarragon
  • 1 egg(s) beaten for egg wash

Equipment

Grill Temperature

180C temp_icon
then
220C temp_icon

Surfaces

Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Stainless grid
then
Baking stone icon
Stainless grid
An icon of the Big Green Egg ConvEGGtor, which used to be called a plate setter

Method
 

For the filling
  1. Initially, set up your Egg for a direct cook at 180°C. You just need your stainless steel grid.
  2. Heat a Dutch Oven or Le Cruset pan over the fire.
  3. Melt the butter and add the onions to soften.
  4. Now add the carrot, celery, and potato. Cook for 5 minutes.
  5. Cut your pheasant into 3cm cubes, coat with plain flour, and add to the vegetables.
  6. Cook for 5 minutes.
  7. Pour in the wine, and add the liquid stock cube. Stir in.
  8. Add the water and allow the mixture to simmer. The sauce with thicken as the flour cooks out.
  9. Add the pepper and tarragon and cook for a further 2 minutes.
  10. Allow to cool.
For the pie tins
  1. Lightly grease the inside of your pie tins with butter.
  2. Take a cold roll of pastry. Cut a strip the height of the tin that will line the inside (but not the bottom). Make sure the base of your pie tin is in at this point. Line the side of the tin, wetting the pastry where it overlaps to make a good seal.
  3. Now cut a circular piece, for the bottom that is slightly larger than the tin. Wet the bottom of the sides of the pasty already in the tin. Slide in the circular bottom, folding up the excess to seal with the sides.
  4. Fill the lined tin with the mix, making sure it is fully pushed down (be gentle). Fill within ½ cm of the top.
  5. Wet the top rim of the pastry and place a pastry lid onto the pie. Squeeze it to seal and then trim around your tin to remove the excess.
  6. With a sharp knife, pierce the top of the pie in a cross to let out steam,
  7. Egg wash the top of your pie.
Cooking your pie
  1. Setup your Egg for an indirect cook at 220°C with your Conveggtor, stainless steel grate and baking stone.
  2. Once your Egg and stone have heated up, place your pie tin directly on the baking stone and cook for 35-45 minutes. Your pie is ready when the pasty has started to pull away from the pie tin.
  3. Use a small glass to push the pie from the tin once it's cooled a little and place on to a cooling rack for a few minutes.

Video