poachers pie

Method

• step 1

  Heat the oil in a casserole over a medium heat and fry the vegetables, garlic and herbs until golden, then scoop out onto a plate. Toss the game meat in the seasoned flour and brown in batches, until really golden, then scoop out onto a plate.

• step 2

  Pour in the stout and scrape all the chewy bits off the bottom of the casserole with a wooden spoon. Add the stock and prunes, along with the browned meat and vegetables, lower the heat and cook gently for 2 hours or until the meat is very tender. Tip into a pie dish and cool.

• step 3

  For the pastry, mix the flour and suet together in a large bowl. Add 100-120ml of cold water and a good pinch of salt, and work by hand until the dough comes together – don’t overwork it and let it become sticky. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

• step 4

  Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured worksurface until a little bigger than the pie dish. Drape over, then crimp to seal. Brush with a little beaten egg then put into the oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown and crispy on top.