Pheasant pasties

1. Roast the pheasant for about 20 minutes. This will make it much easier to cut/pull the meat off it.
2. Once the bird has cooled enough to touch, peel off all the skin and discard. Use a sharp knife or pull it apart with a fork ensuring you pull off the meat from both breasts and legs. Carefully cut as much meat off as possible, taking care not to include any small bones.
3. Cut the meat into a rough dice.
4. Toss the meat together with the juniper berries and thyme.
5. Season with a little salt and pepper.
6. Roll out the dough, if you haven’t already, to about 1/4” thick.
7. Take a 6” dish and place on the dough. Cut around the dish to form a pastry disc. Do this as many times as the pastry allows.
8. Put a layer or two of potato and turnip down, leaving a 1/2” border around the edge (room for crimping).
9. Top with some of the pheasant meat.
10. Add a couple of small cubes of butter (or if you are feeling very extravagant, a knob of clotted cream) and sprinkle the top of the meat with a little flour.
11. Brush the pastry edges with a little water.
12. Bring both edges up to the top of the pasty and press the edges together tightly.
13. Now for the crimping, starting at one end of the edge. For a classic crimp, use one finger to push one side of the pastry, and then pinch around that finger with the finger and thumb of your other hand to create a scalloped effect.
14. Brush the outside with a little of the beaten egg.
15. On both sides of the pasty cut a short (1”) hole to let steam out.
16. Repeat until all the meat is used up.
17. Put the pasties on a baking tray lined with the greaseproof paper.
18. Crank the oven up to 425F/ 220c or gas mark seven.
19. Bake for 20 minutes.
20. Turn the oven down to 320F/160c or gas mark three.
21. Bake for a further 40 minutes.
22. Allow to cool slightly before eating, the insides will be really hot.

This recipe was provided by Taste of Game.