Make a Forcemeat Pie

Ingredients

• 1 calf's liver
• 4 ounces panard (bread crumbs)
• 1 whole egg
• black pepper
• coarse sea salt
• sherry (optional)
• 1 pound game meat (grouse, hare, pheasant, etc.)
• calf’s foot
• 1 bunch herbs
• 12 peppercorns
• 1 onion
• ¼ teaspoon mignonette pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons mushroom ketchup
• bacon or ham slices
• truffles (optional)
• pistachio nuts (optional)
• mushrooms (optional)
• 1 tin pate de foie gras (optional)
• pastry for pie crust

Directions

1. Make a forcemeat by mincing calf's liver, ham, fresh pork, and eschalot. Pound in a mortar until smooth.

2. Add panard, egg, black pepper, and salt. Mix thoroughly and pass through a wire sieve, moistening with sherry if needed.

3. Cut game meat into neat pieces and break up bones. Place in a stewpan with calf’s foot, herbs, peppercorns, onion, mignonette pepper, salt, and mushroom ketchup. Cover with cold water.

4. Bring to a boil, skim, and simmer for 2-3 hours until a strong gravy forms. Strain and cool, removing any fat.

5. Butter a raised pie mold and line it with rolled pastry. Spread a layer of forcemeat on the bottom and sides.

6. Pack tightly with slices of ham or bacon and pieces of game. Season with salt and pepper. Add truffles, pistachio nuts, mushrooms, and pate de foie gras if desired.

7. Cover the top with bacon slices and a layer of forcemeat. Cut a piece of pastry to cover the top.