Rabbit Pie

[lord_seagrave]

The trick with this one is to make the filling the day before. You get a far richer flavour and the meat is much easier to remove from the bones. The suet crust should be good and crispy on the top and sides and dumpling-y in the middles. Serves six

 

For the filling:-

4 slices thick streaky bacon - chopped

2 rabbits - jointed and dusted with seasoned plain flour

2 medium onions - peeled - small dice

2 large carrots - peeled - medium dice

1 large (or two medium) cooking apple - peeled and cored - medium dice

2 stalks of celery - medium dice

6 sage leaves - shredded

1 pint dry cider

 

For the pastry:-

10oz self-raising flour

5oz shredded beef suet

1/2 tsp salt

Black pepper

Ice-cold water

 

In a large saucepan/stockpot, melt a large **** of butter and a drizzle of oil and gently fry the bacon until the fat runs. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. In small batches, fry the rabbit pieces until browned, remove them and set them aside with the bacon. Pour a splash (about a wine-glass full if you don't want to guess) of the cider into the hot pan. It should steam and bubble. Use your spoon or spatula to get all the crispy brown bits scraped up and dissolved into the liquid. Pour this over your rabbit and bacon.

 

Put a **** of butter and a drizzle of oil into the pan over a medium heat and add the vegetables, apple, sage and a good twist (or more to taste) of black pepper. Sweat the vegetables until the onions and celery are translucent.

 

Now add in the rabbit, bacon and juices and stir until well mixed. Pour in the remaining cider and top up with cold water to barely cover the contents of the pan. Bring it slowly to the boil and leave to simmer gently (covered) for an hour or two, stirring very occasionally.

 

Leave the covered pan to cool overnight. That was an hour and a half of your life well spent, and you were only really "cooking" for half that.

 

 

 

The next day, pour the contents of the pan into a colander over a smaller saucepan. Reserve the solid filling and put the gravy in the saucepan on the heat to simmer whilst you make the pastry.

 

Wash your hands and rinse them well with cold water (it is a good idea to keep your hands cool for the pastry-making). In a large mixing bowl sift the flour, pepper and salt together and then combine the suet with the blade of a knife. Add the cold water (about a wine-glass full to start with) little by little, stirring gently with the knife. Eventually it will start to stick together and come away from the edge of the bowl. When it reaches this stage, dust your hands (your rolling-pin and a clean flat surface) with flour and knead the pastry gently. Roll it out evenly, always rolling forward and back, turning the pastry (dusting with flour where required) until it is about 3/8†thick and big enough to line your chosen pie dish (mine’s about 12†x 6†and about 3†deep).

 

Generously butter the inside of your pie dish, paying particular attention to the corners (if it has them) and the very bottom in the middle. These are the places most likely to stick.

 

Line your pie dish with pastry and trim it off. The good thing about suet crust pastry is that you can patch it quite effectively if it tears or is thin in parts – just dab with cold water and fill it in.

 

If you can get hold of a pie-bird (a little ceramic device to let steam out) then now is the time to butter it and set it in the middle of the dish

 

Knead the trimmings gently together and roll out to form your lid.

 

Go through the filling and strip all the meat from the bones, discarding the bones and adding the meat (with the vegetables) to your pie dish. When the filling is level with the top of the dish, pour over the liquid, which by now should have reduced down nicely - taste it to judge its thickness/seasoning and adjust if necessary.

 

Cut a cross in the centre of the pastry for the pie-bird (if using one) to poke through, moisten the edges of the pastry in the dish with water and put the lid on the pie, pressing the edges down with the back of a teaspoon. Now is the time to cut vents for the steam if you’re not using a pie-bird, and make little rabbit shapes out of any leftover pastry for decoration.

 

When you’re happy with the look of your pie, brush it will a little milk, or milk and beaten egg-yolk, and bake it in the middle of a pre-heated oven (Gas mark 6 or equivalent) for 45 minutes to an hour until the crust is golden and the filling is piping hot.

 

Serve with English mustard, mash and vegetables. Reserve some of the gravy early on if you like, and serve this with it too.

 

Regards,

 

LS

 

September 2007

 

PS: If it is your intention to serve this pie cold, then choose a smaller dish, and pack it tighter with the rabbit meat. Strain the gravy at the start of day two through a fine sieve or muslin cloth before reducing it. Boil the gravy hard to reduce it down to less than half a pint. There should be sufficient gelatine from the bones to set it when cold.

 

EDIT: to generalise some of the gravy measurements and cooking times.

Edited January 7, 2009 by lord_seagrave

[hogey]

Hi

 

Thats sounds good,can almost taste it while I was reading.

When I get my NVS set up and get some rabbits I will give that a try.

Cheers

 

Hogey

[lurcherboy]

Splendid LS

 

 

 

 

 

LB

[arjimlad]

A most splendid recipe, milord.

 

I was just thinking to post about the lovely suet crust rabbit pie my family enjoyed yesterday when I saw your post. I popped my bunnies in the slow cooker at 9.30 in the morning, with gravy and bay leaves and mixed herbs, and the meat was ready to take off & put in the pie by 3.30. Delicious !

[lord_seagrave]

Thanks arjimlad (and LB up the top there).

 

You just can't beat that combination of crispiness and sogginess in a savory pie. Sage and black pepper, rabbit and bacon, and the Holy Trinity of stew vegetables (carrot, onion and celery) - it's about as Great and British as it comes!

 

The only thing I really can't get my head around is meat on the bone in a pie (as instructed by a lot of recipes in my library) - anyone else have similar misgivings, or am I denying myself a treat? All I can think about is the dental bills...

 

Regards,

 

LS

[lurcherboy]

I was always told that the meat on the bone is sweeter, but I as brought up in brixton and had goat regularly :unsure:

 

 

 

 

 

 

LB

[squodged]

Splendid LS

 

 

 

 

 

LB

 

 

Never tried rabbit, but considering the recipe may get the missus to give it a go.