Game Casserole

Ingredients

A brace of pheasant, grouse or other game birds and their livers; older birds are preferable
1kg / 2lb rump steak, trimmed of all fat
Half a hare, cut into 4 pieces
1 large onion, peeled and sliced 50g / 8oz button mushrooms, cut into quarters
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 bottle red wine
2 tbsp olive oil

SERVES 8

   50g / 2oz butter
40g / 11/2oz plain flour
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves
5 sage leaves
4 whole cloves
Juice and zest of 1 orange
2 tbsp rowan jelly
Water as required
Salt and pepper
This recipe, like most, has developed over the years. It came originally from an English chef, but in many ways it is a sort of home-coming, because the best game comes from Scotland. Once you get to know this recipe you can experiment with other meats. It is best made a day ahead.

 Wipe the game birds dry with kitchen paper. Heat half the oil in a heavy-based pan and brown the birds on all sides; remove the birds and put them into a deep casserole. Brown the hare in the same way. Cut the steak into cubes, add the rest of the olive oil to the pan and brown the steak too, then add it to the casserole, along with any juices.
Melt the butter in the pan and brown the onion, add the mushrooms and garlic. Stir in the flour and season. Add all the other ingredients and bring to the boil, simmer gently and scrape any sediment off the bottom of the pan, then pour it into the meat in the casserole. If it does not quite cover the birds then top up with water until it does.

Cover with a lid and cook in the oven, 170°C./325°F/Gas 3 for about 1 hour, or until the birds are tender. Remove the birds and hare and let them cool enough to handle. Remove the skin from the birds and discard. Take the meat off and cut it into chunks slightly larger than the rump steak; return the meat to the casserole.

If you have the livers, cut them into small dice, quickly fry them in butter and add them to the casserole. Simmer the whole lot again and check seasoning for consistency; if it is too thin then simmer gently to reduce the liquid slightly.

This casserole is best served the day after made, with lots of mashed potato and kale

Chris Trotter specialises in Scottish food.


The oldest pub in Glasgow dates back 250 years.