Following the success of their sloe berry based drinks range, award winning North Yorkshire based Sloemotion have ‘moved down the hedgerow’ and are harvesting blackberries to blend with a 3 year old blended Scotch whisky to create a delicious new liqueur. Why not try this scrumptious cocktail recipe combining seasonal hedgerow flavours for a true autumnal tipple with a firey Scottish kick!
Cooking time: 11/2 hours plus overnight chilling # Preheat the oven to 160°C/gas mark 3 # To make the pastry, first warm a mixing bowl and sift the flour and salt into it. Make a well in the centre. Heat the lard in the milk and water in a saucepan over a medium heat until just reaching boiling point, then pour into the well in the flour and stir quickly with a wooden spoon until thick. # Continue working by hand to form a smooth dough. Cool slightly, then use the dough to line a greased 20cm tin, keeping some of the dough for the lid separately in a warm place. Put the tin onto a tray. # Line the pie case with the pastry and cut out a disc of pastry for the lid. Cut all of the game breasts into strips lengthways approximately 5mm thick. Season the pork and the game meats. Now layer the pork and breast meats inside the pie case, repeating until all the meats have been used. Brush the rim of the pastry with the egg yolk, cut a small hole in the centre of the pastry lid (through which the jelly will be poured when the pie is cooked), then seal to the base. # Egg wash the lid and cook the pie in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Towards the end of the cooking time for the pie, soak the leaf gelatine in a little cold water, until soft. Then bring the game stock, sloe gin and redcurrant jelly to the boil in a small saucepan, then remove the pan from the heat and add the soaked gelatine, whisking until this is dissolved. Add the juniper berries and allow to cool a little without setting. # After the pie has been removed from the oven, use a funnel to pour the sweet jelly through the hole in the lid, into the pie. Allow to cool, then refrigerate overnight. The jelly will set in a similar way to that in a traditional pork pie. Enjoy!
Toast the heir to the throne with this green goddess of cocktails made from 2 juiced pears and apples and 2tbsp lemon juice shaken with Raisthorpe Sloe Gin and a dollop of honey. Pour over ice and add a splash of club soda.
To make the bread sauce; bring the milk to the boil with the onion in it and let it infuse for approximately 20 minutes. Remove the onion and add the remaining ingredients. The sauce should be of a loose, dropping consistency. Set aside and keep warm. To make the game chips; peel the potato and slice thinly. Remove as much starch as possible by rinsing in cold water, then pat dry. Heat the oil and deep fry for two to three minutes until golden brown. To cook the grouse; Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Season and put the juniper berries inside the cavities of the birds. Tuck a sprig of thyme under each leg and lay two rashers of bacon over each breast. Heat the fat in a roasting tin and sear on each side. Roast for 16 to 20 minutes, depending on size, then remove from the tray and keep warm. Add the root vegetables, any juices, stock, sloe gin and red wine and simmer gently for approximately six minutes. Sieve into a saucepan and check the seasoning. Serve with the game chips, vegetables, bread sauce and a pot of redcurrant jelly.