Master the art of buttery pastry and rich, piquant fillings
Rabbit and Wild Rice Pie
Serves: 4-6
Prepare: 25 minutes, plus resting
Cook: 1 hour 30 minutes
For the filling:
60g unsalted butter
30g olive oil
1 rabbit (approx. 1.5 kg), jointed
Water or wine, for deglazing
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ tsp chilli flakes
4 rosemary sprigs, leaves picked
and chopped
4 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 litre rabbit, chicken or
vegetable stock
300g tomato passata
200g wild rice
Fine salt
Freshly ground black pepper
For the flaky pastry:
225g unsalted butter, chilled
350g plain flour
1 tsp fine salt
120g chilled water
1. Make your pastry. Put the flour and salt in a mound on your work surface and scatter the butter, cubed, over the top. Use your rolling pin to roll the butter into the flour; keep going until it’s the texture of rolled oats. Then put into a pile with a well in the centre, add water and knead to make a rough dough.
2. Roll out or press the dough into a rectangle 2–3 cm thick. Fold one-third of the dough into the middle, then the other third over the top of that, as if folding a letter. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and roll it out again into a rectangle 2–3 cm , then repeat. Don’t worry about making these folds perfectly neat – this is just to finish layering the butter, which results in a lovely flakiness. Finally, wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
3. While the pastry is resting, make the filling. Heat a large heavy-based saucepan or cast-iron casserole dish over a medium–high heat, then add a good knob of butter and olive oil. Brown the rabbit pieces in batches and set aside. Deglaze the pan with a little water or wine.
4. Reduce the heat to medium, then melt another knob of butter in the same pan. Add the onion and cook, stirring regularly, for 10–12 minutes until softened and golden. Add the garlic, chilli flakes, herbs and spices and cook for a further 2–3 minutes. Return the rabbit to the pan, add the stock and passata and stir. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low, partially and simmer for 1 hour. Add the wild rice and simmer for a further 30 minutes. Remove the rabbit and increase the heat to reduce the sauce by half.
5. When the rabbit is cool enough to handle, pick the meat off the bones. Dice any larger pieces of meat, then mix it all back through the sauce. Season to taste and leave to cool.
6. Assemble and cook your pie. Preheat the oven to 190°C/ Fan 170°C/ Gas 5. Roll the pastry 3mm thick and cut into the dimensions of your pie dish, but 3cm wider. Place your cooled braise into the pie dish,
