Ménage a Trois (rabbit, chicken and prawn) Pie

Ingredients

• 450g of cubed rabbit (it’s better with rabbit if you can get it, but there are lots of little bones in rabbit, LOOK INTO THE WHITES OF THE EYES OF YOUR BUTCHER and make sure he takes out all bits of bone and gristle – if you are buying from a supermarket you will have to do this yourself which is tedious). The availability of rabbit is often subject to the enthusiasm of the local feretters. If you can’t get rabbit add another chicken breast and 250g more prawns.
• 6 x chicken breasts, cut into strips
• generous amount smoked salt and Indonesian long pepper mixed with half a cup (or mug) of plain flour
• ½ cup (about six tbsps) sunflower oil
• 1 large red onion, chopped small
• ½ litre bottle cider (about 2 cups)
• 1 litre chicken stock (go for 5 cups)
• 1 cup (0.25ml) double cream
• 1 tbsp chopped tarragon
• 450g cooked prawns
• 500g shortcrust pastry
• 2 tbsp milk to glaze or one beaten egg

Instructions

1. toss the chicken and rabbit in the seasoned flour
2. heat about half the oil in a casserole, add meat, fry, browning on all sides. remove
3. add remaining oil and onion and fry until soft.
4. add about three tbsp of what remains of the flour you used to coat the meat and fry for about a minute
5. add the cider and stock slowly to make a thick sauce. if it gets lumpy smooth it out with a cappuccino whisk (the Ozeri is a good one)
6. simmer (in simmering oven if you have an aga) for about forty minutes.
7. heat oven to 200°C
8. stir in cream and tarragon, and season.
9. add prawns
10. put into pie dish (the vertical oval type, not the flat round type) surrounding a pastry bird (or an egg cup if you don’t have one)
11. roll out pastry, making to odd fish or rabbit shape if you feel artistic with any left over
12. make a couple of slits in the pastry, and glaze with the milk and some smoked salt crystals
13. bake (in the roasting oven) about 25 minutes until golden