At this time of year there's nowt like a game pie. I pop along to my butcher who has a decent selection of rabbit, pheasant, mallard, pigeon, partridge and venison (actually Waitrose stock a lot of this too, not sure about other supermarkets). I also pick up some bacon or lardons, cos game is lean and can be very dry if you're not careful.
With your chosen game, strip the meat from the bones, and pop the bones into a very hot oven to get them roasted and golden. Then drop the bones into a saucepan with your flavourings and aromatics; carrots, onions, celery, bay leaves, parsley, juniper berries, thyme, rosemary, black peppercorns, maybe even star anise if you want to "Asian" it up a bit. Cover with water and bring to a simmer, then leave it for as many hours as you can, 2-4 hours is good. Don't boil it furiously as any fats released from the carcasses will be incorporated into your stock and make it bitter and not nice; you just want a slowly bubbling simmer.
When that's done, strain the liquid off and reserve it. Then add red wine and boil it fast to reduce it.
Now for the meats... cut into small, bite-sized pieces and fry (in a very little oil if you're dieting, like me) until very well browned. Scoop the meat out of your pan and do the same for the bacon (which you will have chopped fine). Scoop that out, then add a mirepoix (small cubes) of carrot, onion and celery. Fry until browned and softened, then sprinkle on a tablespoon of flour, cook for another few minutes, then put the meat back in, and slowly pour in the reduced stock you made.
Stir it all up and bring to a simmer, then cover and stick in a low oven (170C) for 2-3 hours. When you take it out, the liquid should have reduced and thickened, and the meat should be almost falling apart. Check for seasoning, then plop it into a pie dish and cover with a pastry of your choice (I'm on filo twists at the moment from the Hairy Dieters' book, but you can do puff pastry if you are already skinny). Stick it back in an oven at 180 for about 25 mins for the pastry to brown (brush puff pastry with egg-wash), then serve with greens.
I did a pie like this earlier this week, judged it by eye. No pics, sorry, but it was really delicious.
Just typing this up has made me hungry.
