Old-English Rabbit Pie
This is a really
delicious pie, good for a dinner party – and if you can get hold of a wild rabbit for it so
much the better.
Serves : 4 – 6
Ingredients:
FOR THE SUET CRUST PASTRY:
12oz / 350g Self-Raising Flour
6oz / 175g Shredded Suet
½ tsp Salt
Freshly Milled Black
Pepper
FOR THE FILLING:
1 Rabbit, approximately
3lb / 1.35kg, cut into joints
2 Medium Onions, chopped
fairly small
8oz / 225g Unsmoked Streaky Bacon, in one piece
1 Medium Cooking Apple,
peeled and sliced
4oz / 110g Pitted Prunes
(weighed after the stones have been removed), chopped
½ Pint /
275ml Dry Cider
¾ Pint /
425ml Stock or Water
½ Whole Nutmeg,
grated
1 Bay Leaf
1½oz / 40g Plain Flour
½oz / 40g Butter
Salt and Freshly
Milled Black Pepper
Instructions:
1.
Pre-heat the
oven to Gas Mark 7 / 425°F / 220°C.
2.
Wash the rabbit joints first of
all, and place them (apart from the ribs, which don't carry much meat) in a
large saucepan.
3.
Tuck in
the onion and apple among the meat.
4.
Now remove
the rind from the bacon,
chop the meat up
into 1 inch / 2.5cm cubes and add that to the saucepan along with the bay leaf, a little salt and some freshly
milled pepper.
5.
Pour in
the cider and the stock,
bring to simmering point, skim off any bits of scum, then put a lid on and
leave to simmer gently for about an hour or until tender.
6.
When it's
cooked, remove the rabbit
pieces together with the bacon, apple and onion (with a draining
spoon) and transfer them to the pie dish, sprinkling in the chopped prunes as well.
7.
Now mix
the flour and butter to a smooth
paste, then add this mixture to the stock in the
saucepan, adding it in tiny (peanut-size) pieces, stir them round over a medium
heat to melt and thicken the sauce.
8.
Sprinkle
in the nutmeg
and when the sauce reaches simmering point pour it over the rabbit.
9.
Now make
up the suet crust pastry. Mix the flour, salt, pepper and suet together, then add
enough cold water to form a fairly soft, elastic dough
that leaves the bowl cleanly.
10.
Roll the
dough out to a shape 1 inch / 2.5cm wider than the top of the pie dish, and cut
a 1 inch / 2.5cm strip all round.
11.
Dampen the
edge of the dish and press this strip around the rim of the dish.
12.
Now dampen
the rim of the pastry, and place the pastry lid in position on top, pressing
well all round to seal the edges, which can be
decorated with fluting if you like.
13.
Make a
small hole for steam to escape, then bake for 30
minutes or until golden brown.
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