Rabbit Pie

Difficulty: medium Prep Time: More than 15 Minutes Total Time: More than 1 hour
1 rabbit carcass, cleaned & split
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1/2 cup green peas
1/3 cup port
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup carrot, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup turnip, diced
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup canned kidney beans, drained and washed
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 cup vegetable stock
2 tbsp flour
Pie Pastry:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening, chilled
3 tbsp ice water

For the Filling:
Heat oil over medium-high and sear meat. Reduce heat to medium, and add onion, carrot, celery and turnip. When the onions start to brown add the garlic, rosemary, bay leaves and tomato paste. Once the heat returns to the pan, deglaze with port and add kidney beans. Simmer, covered for 8-10 minutes. Remove the rabbit and pick the meat from the bones. Chop and return meat to the pot. Discard the bones. Sprinkle flour over the top of the mixture and mix thoroughly.
Add the stock a little at a time make thick stew-like consistency. Remove bay leaves and season.

For The Pie Pastry:
Dissolve salt in water. Cut shortening into flour until the fat pieces are the size of green peas. Pour the salted water into the flour and mix until everything is just combined (do not overmix). Even though the dough is very crumbly, it’s important not to mix it further. Wrap tightly in plastic and place in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Remove from fridge, flour a work surface and press the dough into a disc shape about an inch or so thick. Roll with a rolling pin, making sure the dough doesn’t stick to the work bench. Roll to a thickness of about 1/8”

Assembly:
Cut out circles and place a scoop of filling in the center of each circle. Moisten edges with water and cover with another circle. Press the edges together firmly with a fork and poke a couple of holes in the top to allow steam to escape. Bake for approximately 20-30 minutes, or until the crust is cooked through and flakey.