Tortiere au Canard (that’s Happy Duck Pie to you)

Our first duck of the year was morphed into this pie and it is truly divine. I think it would work just as well with lamb or beef too.

 

Tortiere au Carnard.

4oz of butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 happy duck, meat cubed (we used a young homegrown muscovy but a wild duck would work well. Avoid the giant flabby things Tesco sell)
1 tbsp flour
1/2 pint of chicken stock
Scraping of nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Salt & pepper

Pastry
1 1/4lb flour
8oz butter
Salt
3 3/4 oz milk

In a pan melt the butter then brown the onion and meat. Add the flour and slowly pour in the stock and stir well. Season well with salt and pepper and add the cinnamon and nutmeg. I know, it sounds an odd mix but go with it. Simmer for 1.5 hours or 20 mins in a pressure cooker.

During this time prepare the pastry and line a pie dish with half of it. When the duck is all simmered down the sauce will have thickened and started doing crazy things to your nostrils and your tummy will be grumbling so wallop it quickly into the dish, cover with the other half of pastry, seal the 2 layers, brush with egg or milk and bake at 200c / 400f / Gas 6 for 10 mins then drop to 180c / 350f / Gas 4 for a further 10 mins.

We served it with mange tout and peas and it was just heavenly.