Proper Pheasant Pie Recipe

Hearty, homely and proudly no-waste - this pheasant pie turns a day on the Plain into a family supper worth savouring. The filling is slow-cooked for tenderness, the gravy is glossy and deeply flavoured, and the pastry is crisp and golden. Serve with buttery mash and greens for the full meal after a day in the countryside.

Serves: 6

Prep: 30 minutes (plus cooling)

Cook: 1 hour 30 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Field note: Always check for shot before cooking and eating game. Run fingers through the meat as you dice.

Ingredients

For the filling

• 2 oven-ready pheasants (or ~700–800g trimmed breast & leg meat), diced into 2-3cm chunks

• 100g smoked streaky bacon or pancetta, diced

• 2 tbsp plain flour

• 2 tbsp butter

• 1 large onion, finely chopped

• 2 sticks celery, finely chopped

• 2 carrots, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, crushed

• 150g chestnut mushrooms, quartered (optional but lovely)

• 200ml dry cider or ale (or extra stock)

• 400–500ml pheasant or chicken stock (preferably homemade from the carcasses)

• 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1 bay leaf + a few thyme sprigs (or ½ tsp dried thyme)

• Sea salt & black pepper, to taste

• Splash of double cream (30–50ml), optional, for richness

For the pastry

• 1 x 500g block all-butter shortcrust or puff pastry (shop-bought is fine)

• 1 egg, beaten (for glaze)

To finish

• Handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped

• Optional: ½ tsp redcurrant jelly (lifts the gravy)

Equipment: 24–26cm pie dish (about 1.2–1.5L), large casserole or sauté pan.

Method

1) Build the flavour base

1. Season the diced pheasant lightly and dust with the flour.

2. Heat the oil/butter in a wide pan over medium-high heat. Fry the bacon until just golden; remove to a plate.

3. Brown the pheasant in two batches (don’t crowd the pan). You want colour, not a full cook. Remove to the plate with the bacon.

2) Soften the veg & deglaze

4. Lower the heat to medium. Add onion, celery and carrots with a pinch of salt; cook 8–10 minutes until soft and lightly golden.

5. Stir in garlic and mushrooms; cook 2–3 minutes.

6. Pour in the cider/ale, scraping up the sticky bits from the base. Reduce by half.

3) Braise to tender

7. Return bacon and pheasant to the pan with stock, mustard, Worcestershire, bay and thyme.

8. Simmer gently, uncovered, 25–35 minutes until the meat is tender and the liquid has reduced to a sauce consistency. (Top up with a splash of stock if it gets too thick.)

9. Fish out the bay and thyme. Stir in cream (if using) and redcurrant jelly. Check seasoning.

10. Fold through parsley. Cool completely (warm filling will melt pastry and cause soggy bottoms).

4) Assemble & bake

11. Heat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) / Gas 6.

12. Roll pastry to 3–4mm thick. Line the rim of the pie dish with a thin strip of pastry for a good seal. Spoon in the cooled filling.

13. Drape the pastry lid over, press to seal, trim excess, then crimp. Cut a steam hole in the centre.

14. Brush with beaten egg. Optional: re-roll trimmings for leaves or a simple lattice.

15. Bake 30–40 minutes until deeply golden and piping hot.

Serving: Rest 5–10 minutes. Pair with buttered mash, seasonal greens (savoy, kale, sprouting broccoli) and a spoon of braising juices.

How to make pheasant stock (no waste)

• What: Carcasses, necks, wing tips, onion, carrot, celery, bay, peppercorns, thyme.

• How: Roast bones 25 minutes at 200°C for extra depth (optional). Simmer gently with veg and aromatics for 2–3 hours; skim. Strain and reduce to taste.

• Use: In the pie filling; freeze the rest in 250ml tubs for sauces and gravies.

Field-to-fork tips

• Rest the birds: A day or two in the fridge (well hung and chilled) improves flavour.

• Leg meat matters: Legs bring gelatin and richness-braise until tender, then shred.

• Cool the filling: Essential for crisp pastry and defined layers.

Make ahead, store & freeze

• Ahead: Make filling up to 48 hours in advance; keep chilled.

• Chilled leftovers: 2-3 days, covered, in the fridge. Reheat until piping hot.

• Freeze: Filling (best option) up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight, then assemble and bake.

• Freeze whole pie (unbaked): Assemble, freeze on a tray, wrap well. Bake from frozen at 200°C (180°C fan) for 55–65 minutes, covering loosely if over-browning.

What to serve alongside

• Greens: Buttered savoy with a squeeze of lemon; cabbage & bacon; minted peas.

• Carbs: Mash, mustard mash, or crisp roasties.

• Pickles & chutney: A little acidity sings with the rich gravy.