Poverty Pie - 1940's

I'mPat's Note:

From a feature in our State paper with recipes through the ages. The recipe states 1 quantity of shortcrust pastry (frozen or homemade - let time and economy decide), I've estimated this to 3 or 4 sheets, sheets are about 22cm to 23cm square. Cooking and prep times are also estimated.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 35 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 20 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 6

Yield: 6.0 pies

• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup water
• 1 onion (peeled and quartered)
• 1 bouquet garni (made from a selection of woody herbs)
• 1 rabbit
• 40 g butter
• 1 leek (thinly sliced)
• 10 mushrooms (thinly sliced)
• 1 celery rib (cut into small cubes)
• 1/4 cup plain flour
• 2 tablespoons cream
• 1 egg (lightly beaten for pastry wash)
• 3 -4 sheets shortcrust pastry
• 3 sheets puff pastry (frozen butter tawed)

Directions:

1. To make filling.
2. In a large saucepan bring stock, water, onion and bouquet garni to the boil and then turn down heat and add rabbit and gently simmer, covered for 45 minutes.
3. Remove rabbit and cool and then pull meat from the bones and cut into bite sized chunks.
4. Meanwhile return liquid to heat and boil briskly to reduce to 1 1/2 cups, this usually takes 5 to 10 minutes.
5. In a saucepan melt butter and then add leak, mushroom and celery and sweat until soft and then add flour and cook for a further minutes and then gradually add warm stock, stirring well until sauce boils and thickens and then stir in cream and check for seasoning, fold rabbit through the sauce and allow to cool slightly.
6. To make the pies.
7. Roll out the shortcrust pastry and line small pie tins, filled with meat mixture and then cover with puff pastry. sealing edges with egg wash.
8. Cut a slit in the middle of the pastry top to let steam escape and brush the pies with egg wash and put into the oven for 15 minutes at 220C and then turn down to 200C for a further 10 minutes.