Colonial Game Pie Recipes

COLONIAL PORT-BEEF PIE

Steps:

• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot; cook and stir until softened, about 5 minutes. Add port and thyme; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until sauce is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 35 minutes.
• Bring chicken broth to a simmer in a small saucepan. Turn off heat and add half the mushroom slices. Let mushrooms soak, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Use a slotted spoon to transfer soaked mushrooms to a small bowl. Strain the chicken broth from the saucepan into a separate bowl, pouring it through a coffee filter or cheesecloth to remove any sediment.
• Dice the soaked mushrooms and transfer to the port sauce. Add the strained chicken-mushroom broth.
• Bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook and stir until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes.
• Mix cornstarch with 1/4 cup cold water in a bowl. Whisk cornstarch slurry rapidly into the simmering sauce until thickened, about 3 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.
• Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute beef until meat is still slightly pink in the center, 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Saute remaining mushrooms and onion in the beef drippings until tender, about 5 minutes. Add to the bowl with the beef.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Cut 2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter into the flour using 2 knives or a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Add 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons cold water; mix until dough pulls away from edges of the bowl. Divide dough in half; set 1 portion aside and roll the other half onto a floured surface. Press dough into a 10-inch pie pan to form the bottom crust.
• Spread the vegetable-beef mixture over the crust in the pie pan. Pour sauce on top, spreading to the edges. Roll out the other half of the dough and cover pie with the crust; seal the edges.
• Bake in the preheated oven until flaky and golden, about 45 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes.

COLONIAL CHESS PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a saucepan, combine white sugar, brown sugar, flour and salt. Pour in milk and add margarine. Heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves and margarine is melted. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• In a large bowl, whisk egg yolk, egg and vanilla until smooth. Whisk in cooled sugar mixture. Pour into pie crust.
• Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce the temperature to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) and bake for an additional 25 minutes, or until top is puffed and edges are golden brown. Allow to cool before slicing.

COLONIAL GAME PIE (KING'S ARMS TAVERN)

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Salt the cavity of the duck and place it on a rack in a shallow roasting pan, breast side up. Bake for 30 minutes at 400, reduce the heat to 325, and bake until the duck tests done.
• 2. Simmer the rabbit in a small amount of water for 60 minutes or until tender.
• 3. Cut the venison into large cubes and saute in the vegetable oil in a large skillet until well browned, stirring and turning as necessary. Remove the venison and drain the oil from the skillet.
• 4. Add the port wine to the skillet and boil for 2-3 minutes, scraping up any brown particles. Return the venison to the skillet and add the Brown Sauce. Simmer for 45-60 minutes, or until the venison is tender.
• 5. Cut the duck and rabbit meat in medium-sized pieces, and place in the skillet with the venison to keep warm. Season with the Worcestershire sauce, garlic, pepper, and currant jelly.
• 6. Saute the mushrooms in the butter until lightly browned. Fry the bacon until crisp, and drain. Heat the onions and drain.
• 7. Divide the game mixture into individual greased casserole dishes and garnish the top of each with mushrooms, bacon, and onions. Cover each dish with the pastry crust, trim the edges, and prick the tops to allow the steam to escape.
• 8. Beat the egg lightly with the milk to make an egg wash and brush the tops of the pastry with the mixture. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Serve piping hot.