Well... I don't think pies come under healthy food. However, in moderation everything is fine
I made a game pie a while ago can't quite remember recipe but I'll guess at...
1kg diced venison (about £10/kg at your butchers)
2 pheasants (get butcher to fillet them, dice the breasts)
500g diced turkey/pork shoulder/anything you've got knocking about to bulk it up a bit.
box of chestnut mushrooms
red wine
thyme
celeriac
butter
lard
flour
egg
I think this was enough for two pies... So make it smaller for one. Substitute game for beef as an alternative.
1. Buy meat the day before and make some stock in the evening - brown off the pheasant legs and carcasses, add an onion, celery, any veg you've got rotting in your fridge! Add a splash of wine and some water, fresh herbs out the garden if you have any (thyme/rosemary/bay leaf) season and leave it to boil for a couple of hours.
Once this is done, and reduced, remove all the muck from the pan, and get the meat off your pheasant legs, keep that for the pie.
2. Next day, take all your diced meat and brown it. Fry up an onion or two, the mushrooms, and add the stock you made as well as some more wine. Add herbs etc, and leave for a good couple of hours, possibly longer.
3. Cube up the celeriac and fry slowly in butter (don't let it brown). Put a lid on it and leave til soft, then season and puree it up (mash or blend).
4. Make shortcrust pastry. Twoce as much flour as fat (butter+lard). I can't remember how much you need, but mix up a big ball of it.
5. Butter and line pie dish with pastry. The quantities up there are probably enough to fill two largeish dishes (ours are about 35x25cm rectangles)
6. spread celeriac puree over bottom of pastry, about 1cm thick, then add your now cooked pie filling (If the gravy is still quite runny, strain the meat out and add to pie, then return gravy to the hob and thicken with corn flour)
7. put pastry lid on pie, seal down with beaten egg, and brush egg over the top. Make a hole in the middle so steam can escape. If you have any left over pastry you can make a design for the top.
8. chuck it in a hot oven for 45 mins or so (check on it so it doesn't burn)
ta da!
Only picture I have, sorry! It was awesome!
Pies are pretty easy really, they can take a long time but it's not stressful so if you are in all weekend it's a good thing to make! Don;t worry about quantities either, if it looks good it will be good, if you have too much filling just freeze it for next time as a stew or another pie.
