SC - Game Pie Help!

[lorix]

Good fortune to the List . . . I seek your help!
I have been perusing recipes on pies thru period sources.  Everyone thus
far always discusses pre-cooking the meats contained therein prior to
the cooking of the pie.

I was particularly interested in Sabina Welserin's cookbook (thankyou
Valoise) which gave several versions of game pies:  all of which had the
meat cooked prior to placing in the pie.  (I note the previous thread re
pastry).

Basically, my father has developed an absolutely delicious game pie
recipe established thru trial, error & the assistance of Mssr Larousse.
It involves the making of "hot water pastry" (my dad's term), which is
rolled exceptionally thick & moulded into a deep casserole dish.
Interestingly enough, my father uses lard in his recipe for pastry & it
is made much the same as that suggested by Welserin.  The sides & bottom
of the pastry are covered in (spiced) pork mince to about an inch
thick.  Then a mixture of game (venison, wild duck, quails & rabbit
generally) is cut into bite-sized pieces tossed with some pieces of
bacon, spiced with black pepper, an'some (and some nutmeg, mace, mixed
spices . . . you get the idea).  All of which is deposited into the
pastry uncooked.  A piece of pastry is rolled to cover the pie with a
hole cut out of the middle for the steam to escape.  Then it is set to
cook for at least 2 hours . . . till it is done.

It has to be cooked in a reasonably slow oven with the pastry (except
for that hole) all covered by foil for about 30 mins to an hour - so the
pastry doesn't burn.  When it is cooled, the aspic which has been made
using the stock obtained from the bones of said game (cooked for about
the same time as the pie) is poured into the pie.  The pie ends up
looking something like a pork pie from the outside.  When carved, the
various meats compress into a solid mass of various colours (depending
on the flesh used).  The pie is best eaten when a day or so old as the
flavours sort of intermingle.  It is spectacular & delicious and since I
have found a purveyor of cheapish venison it is not that expensive to
make if just venison & rabbit are used.

So, to get back to my question . . . can anyone refer me to a period
recipe for meat/game pie where the meat is not cooked prior to entry
into pie as I am seriously considering the above for a feast, but would
like to make it fully documentable.

Thanks in advance,
Lorix

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