Ingredients: (serves 4)

Assorted birds, off-the-bone pigeon, pheasant,  
½ pint (284 ml) red wine
duck, etc diced and seasoned in flour  
½ pint (284 ml) game or chicken stock
3 tbsp olive oil     
1 bay leaf tied with
2 stalks of parsley and 1 stalk of thyme
1 oz (28g) butter     
4 shallots, finely chopped    
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 carrot, peeled and cut into sticks  
salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 oz (142g) mushrooms    
1 beaten egg
1 tbsp flour      
1 pkt of good quality butter puff pastry

Method

Cut the pheasant meat into quite large dice pieces and dust in a little seasoned flour.  Heat the oil in a saucepan and quickly cover the pheasant cubes, cooking in batches to ensure that the oil stays hot. 

Set aside the sealed pheasant and other bird pieces and add the butter to the pan. 

Gently fry the shallots and carrots until soft before adding the mushrooms.  Once coloured, add a tablespoon of plain flour and continue to cook for another couple of minutes.  Gradually stir in the wine, allow it to bubble up and thicken and then add the pheasant dice, stock and herbs, tied together with a piece of string so they are easy to fish out later.

Bring up to the boil and then simmer gently for 30 minutes.  Remove the herbs. 

Quickly fry the remaining mushrooms and add the chopped parsley.  Pre heat the oven to 190c/375f/Gas 5.

Transfer the pheasant casserole to a pie dish, adding a little more stock if necessary.

Roll out the pastry.  Place a narrow band of pastry around the pie dish rim, brush with water and then place the pastry sheet over.  Press firmly around the rim with a fork and prick a few holes in the main crust.  Brush with egg wash and bake for 40 minutes or until golden.