Game Meat Tourtière

Chef Eraj Jayawickreme
The Velvet Glove

Bison, duck, elk, quail, partridge and venison are combined in this local version of a seasonal favourite.

Ingredients
Filling
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 medium onions, chopped, divided
4 garlic cloves, chopped, divided
5 whole black peppercorns
5 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
2 lbs assorted game meat, cut into 2″ pieces (any combo will work)
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup red wine
8 button mushrooms, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/4 lbs ground wild boar
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
3/4 cup russet potato, peeled and grated
all-purpose flour
1 large egg yolk, beaten

Hot Water Crust Pastry
2 ½ cups plain flour
1 cup lard
½ unsalted butter
2 teaspoons salt
3 whole eggs
1 ½ water

Red Onion and Gin Marmalade
5 red onions, large, finely sliced
5 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked
3 ½ tablespoon of red wine vinegar
2 ½ tablespoon of sugar
3/8 cup of gin
salt
pepper
1 cup of butter

Method
Hot Water Crust Pastry

1. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl and make a well in the middle. Crack the eggs and whisk them up slightly, then pour them into the well in the flour and cover the egg with some of the flour by flicking it over with a spoon.
2. Into a saucepan over a medium put the water, butter and lard and heat them until the fat has melted and is just coming up to the boil
3. Pour the hot water/fat mixture around the outside of the flour, avoiding the covered egg in the middle and then, using a butter knife, mix it all together.
4. Stop mixing when all of the ingredients have come together and then cover the bowl with cling-film/plastic-wrap and leave it for 10 minutes.
5. After the 10 minutes, tip the contents of the bowl onto a work surface and lightly knead it together to form a ball of dough. Wrap the ball of dough in plastic-wrap and leave it to rest for another 10 minutes at room temperature before using it.

Filling

1. Preheat oven to 325˚F. Combine stock, chopped onion half, 1 garlic clove, peppercorns, thyme, and bay leaves in a medium pot. Add game meat; season with salt and pepper. Bring to simmer over medium heat.
2. Cover pot and transfer to oven. Braise until meat is tender, about 2 hours. Let cool.
3. Shred meat and transfer to a medium bowl. Strain braising liquid through a fine mesh sieve, adding 1/2 cup juices to meat.
4. In a small pot, reduce the red wine by half, add the remaining braising liquid, and reduce to a gravy consistency. Set aside.
5. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add remaining onion and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, for 5-7 minutes. Add the white wine. Stir, scraping up browned bits. Bring to a boil. Cook until liquid is almost evaporated, about 5 minutes.
6. Add boar, cinnamon, and cloves. Cook, stirring to break up into pieces, for about 5 minutes. Add potato and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
7. Stir in shredded game meat with juices. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let cool slightly, then chill until cold, about 1 hour.
8. Divide the pastry dough and roll half into a 12″ round on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to pie dish, leaving an overhang. Fill with cooked meat mixture. Roll remaining dough into a 10″ round and place on top. Fold overhang over top crust and crimp edges. Make a hole in the centre of the pie to allow steam to escape. Brush crust with beaten egg yolk.
9. Chill for 1 hour.
10. Bake pie in a 400˚F oven for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350˚F and bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling, 40-50 minutes.
11. Let cool 20 minutes before serving.

Red Onion and Gin Marmalade

1. Melt a block of butter in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add the finely sliced red onions and fry until the onions are completely cooked and have absorbed all of their own juices – this will take 1hour
2. When dry and cooked, add the thyme leaves, sugar, red wine vinegar and sloe gin to the pan. Bring to the boil, then turn reduce to a simmer and cook until sticky in consistency
3. Season the marmalade and leave to cool

Assembly
Cut into slices and serve with red onion and gin marmalade.

Yield 6-8 servings.