It's all about the pies...

...yes, I've had another pastry-dominated weekend!  Last night was my first attempt at making a kangaroo, red wine and mushroom pie.  I had a great winter's afternoon at home slow cooking all the ingredients while the weather raged outside.  I took the meat out after just under two hours and it wasn't quite the tender melted taste I was after - but I don't know if kangaroo really gets that way, being such a lean meat.  Anyway, even if the meat was only ok the sauce was delicious (although I didn't have time to search for juniper berries - next time I will as I think an acidic berry taste would be fabulous).  Dave and Tina kindly agreed to be my guinea pigs - cheers guys : )

The next winter dish I'm looking to make is a duck ragout with pappardelle.  I haven't cooked with duck before so it will be a new food adventure...

Oh yes, and to complete my pastry weekend I also had a pie today!  Had a great Sunday - a 2.5 hour walk from Red Hill to Merrick and back again, a wine tasting, a stout at Red Hill Brewery (http://www.redhillbrewery.com.au/), and then the best pie I've ever had anywhere - the duck and red wine pie from Red Hill Bakery - so good that I had to buy a cold one to take home as well.  Absolutely gutted that they don't stock anywhere in Melbourne - apparently people drive down from the city just to buy them and I can understand why.  Sigh...

Individual Kangaroo, Red Wine and Mushroom Pies

Serves 4.  As I don't have ramekins, I just heated the pie filling in a dish, baked some pastry circles, and served the pies in bowls covered with a pastry lid.  From http://www.henschke.com.au/

2 tbsp butter

400g onions - cut into 1cm dice
300g celeriac - cut into 1cm dice
1 tbsp olive oil
500g kangaroo - cut in 2-3cm dice
120g mushrooms - field or swiss brown, cut into 1-2cm dice
2 cups brown stock
2 cups red wine
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp chopped parsley
4 juniper berries - crushed
1 tbsp ketcap manis (sweet soy sauce)
2 tsp cornflour mixed with 1 tbsp water
Puff pastry
1 egg yolk for glaze

1. Melt half the butter and toss through the onion and celeriac in a casserole dish. Roast in the oven, uncovered, at 180°C until the onion is golden coloured.

2. Heat heavy-based pan, add olive oil and seal the kangaroo in 3 batches, ensuring meat is coloured on all sides. Remove meat to casserole after each batch.

3. Add half a cup of the stock to the pan and use to remove any kangaroo residue by stirring over the heat for a few minutes; add to the casserole.

4. Add the remaining butter to the pan and fry mushrooms; add remaining stock and reduce together by half.

5. Add mushrooms and stock to casserole together with wine. Cover and cook in the oven at 150°C for 2-3 hours or until kangaroo is tender.

6. Strain all juices from casserole into a saucepan; add crushed juniper berries, parsley and ketchap manis. Bring to a simmer and thicken with cornflour and water mixture.

7. Add braised meat and vegetables into thickened sauce and mix gently, taking care not to break up the cooked ingredients.

8. Divide between four small individual ovenproof pie dishes. Allow to cool and top each with puff pastry; glaze with egg yolk. (Recipe can be made to this stage a day or so before requirement.) Bake when required for 10-15 minutes at 180°C.