Game Pie

Game pie is one of the oldest centerpieces of English cooking, a raised pie of mixed wild game that dates to the medieval and Tudor great houses where hunting was a noble privilege and venison, pheasant, hare and rabbit were the trophies of the estate. The hot-water-crust pastry, made by melting lard and water into flour, is the technical breakthrough that allows a free-standing, hand-raised case tall enough to hold a large, layered filling and to keep for days without a tin. The filling was traditionally a mix of whatever the day's hunt provided, diced and layered with bacon, juniper, thyme and wine, baked until set, then sealed with a pour of rich stock that gels into the jelly layer as it cools. The jelly both preserved the pie and made it slice cleanly. Mrs Beeton gives several game pie recipes in 1861, and the dish remained the showpiece of the country-house and gentlemen's-club table well into the 20th century. Modern versions use farmed game, but the structure is unchanged.

A firm, slightly biscuity hot-water-crust casing giving way to layers of dark, winey game in a clear jelly that trembles and sets the meat so each slice holds its shape. Eat with a sharp knife and chutney.

Two techniques define the dish. First, the hot-water-crust pastry: lard and water are brought to the boil and poured into strong flour, the hot fat gelatinises the starch so the dough can be moulded warm into a free-standing case around a wooden mould or jar, a feat impossible with cold shortcrust. The case is built tall and thick to hold a heavy filling. Second, the jelly: the layered game filling is only partly submerged in stock before baking, and after baking, more hot seasoned stock is poured through the steam hole to fill every gap; on cooling, the high-collagen stock from the bones sets into a clear jelly that coats and preserves the meat, allowing the pie to be sliced cold into clean layers. The jelly is what distinguishes a game pie from an ordinary meat pie, and a long-simmered bone stock is its source.