Pheasant pie

Method

1. To make the pastry, sift the flour and semolina with a good pinch of salt, then rub in the butter with your fingers (or pulse in a food processor) until it resembles breadcrumbs. Quickly mix in the egg yolk and just enough cold water to bring the dough together (about 1-2 tbsp), then shape into a disc, wrap in cling film and chill.
2. Dust the pheasant chunks in 2 tbsp of the flour, seasoned. Heat a little of the olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan. Brown the pheasant in batches, adding more oil if needed, then set aside in a bowl.
3. Add the bacon to the pan and fry for a couple of minutes until almost crisp, then add the mushrooms and fry for a couple minutes more. Remove the mushrooms and bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside with the pheasant. Add 1 tbsp oil to the pan and gently fry the onion for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for a further minute or until softened. Remove with a slotted spoon and add to the bowl.
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5. Melt the butter in the pan and stir in the remaining tablespoon of flour. Slowly add the Madeira and stock, stirring continuously until it forms a smooth sauce. Add the juniper berries and thyme, then simmer for a minute or two, stirring to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Stir the sauce into the contents of the bowl and allow to cool.
6. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Spoon the cooled pheasant mixture into a 2 litre pie dish and season well. Nestle a pie bird (or several, if you want to re-create our calling-birds pie) into the centre of the dish.
7. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry until it is a little larger than the dish and the thickness of a pound coin. Brush the rim of the pie dish with a little water or milk, then cover the dish with the pastry, cutting a small slit to allow each pie bird or pie funnel to poke through, if using. If you don’t have any pie birds, cut 2 or 3 small slits in the pastry to allow steam to escape. Roughly trim the edges and crimp.
8. Brush the pastry all over with beaten egg, then re-roll the trimmings and cut out small birds to decorate the pie (optional). Brush with more egg, then bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown. Serve with hot mashed potato and buttered peas.