game pies

[gordonsveg]

we are making some small game pies cooked game and 6x2in tins,as the family only like shortcrust pastry we will be using that.Can anyone tell me the cooking times and temps please.

[gordonsveg]

[gazza1960]

Couldn't really understand your post .....is the game meat pre cooked...or raw...anyway ive assumed raw and have made smaller versions of the hairys game pies and although trial and error cooking times I stick to same temp but adjust the times
according to the pie size.

simplify it all by pre cooking the meats and blind baking your pies as it shortens your overall cooking times.....

I bake a small sample pie and test it out,its best slightly under cooked as game tends to dry out horribly otherwise.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/gamepie_93146.pdf

[Melbourne12]

I'd go along with Gazza's suggestion of cooking the filling and blind baking the pastry base.  Although I know that it's not strictly a game pie, half and half game (pheasant, pigeon, or venison) mixed with minced belly pork makes a filling that's far less likely to dry out.

[gazza1960]

God im dribbling now Melbourne,,,,,lovely addition to a pie...but make sure your butcher doesn't mince it too fine the belly pork fat is so moist and adds such a lovely extra flavour to a game pie.

don't forget fruit as well,it lightens a heavy meat pie and after all youll be eating your game pie with a fruit pickle of some variety to add moisture so why not try
adding fruits such as slices of Pear,Figs or raisins soaked in mead they add a
gorgeous flavour to a Christmas Game Pie....

[Melbourne12]

God im dribbling now Melbourne,,,,,lovely addition to a pie...but make sure your butcher doesn't mince it too fine the belly pork fat is so moist and adds such a lovely extra flavour to a game pie.

don't forget fruit as well,it lightens a heavy meat pie and after all youll be eating your game pie with a fruit pickle of some variety to add moisture so why not try
adding fruits such as slices of Pear,Figs or raisins soaked in mead they add a
gorgeous flavour to a Christmas Game Pie....

This is going to turn into game pie ping-pong, isn't it? 

Good idea about the fruit.  I've not tried figs, so that's gone on the to-do list! One of my favourites to add to pies containing game birds is dried apricot halves, soaked in something suitably alcoholic.  Sherry works well, as does port, but port colours the apricots.  For Christmas luxury, you could use brandy.

For small game pies like the ones Gordonsveg was talking about, chop the fruit up.  For a large pie, put it in like a layer, quite sparingly not thickly, so that there's a little in every slice.

[gordonsveg]

thank you all for your replies,i will give the fruit a go,probablt apricots.

[gazza1960]

I think the word alcohol won him over Melbourne....

Please post a picture if you remember Gordon as I like to see a cross cut image of what it looked like
and hopefully tastes great.....

Gazza