A recipe for a Game of Thrones inspired pigeon pie from King Joffrey’s wedding in King’s Landing. Original Author: Feast of Starlight (adapted by Kaitlin Abeele).

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp – unsalted butter
1 tbsp – vegetable oil
1 – medium Spanish onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp – sugar
¼ cup – red wine
2 tbsp – vegetable oil
1 – medium carrot, diced
1 – medium parsnip, diced
1 – small onion, diced
1 – medium stalk of celery, diced
1 – large potato, diced
1 – bay leaf
1 tsp – ground sage
1 tsp – rosemary
450g – lean ground pork
½ cup – dried cranberries
⅓ cup – pine nuts, lightly toasted
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp – vegetable oil
1 – large boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
12 slices – pancetta
salt and pepper to taste

HOT WATER CRUST

2.5 cups – all purpose flour
¾ – unsalted butter
1 cup – water
1 – egg, lightly beaten (egg wash)

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat a saucepan over medium heat with butter and oil. Once hot, add the onions and cook for 5 minutes. Add the sugar and mix to combine. When the onions get soft, add the wine and cook over medium low heat until most of the liquid has cooked off and the onions are really nice and soft. Season with salt and pepper to taste, set aside.
2. Heat a clean saucepan over medium heat. Add the vegetable oil and once hot, add the onions and bay leaf and cook for 3 minutes until softened. Add the diced carrots, parsnip, potatoes and celery and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the ground pork, ground sage and rosemary. Break the pork into small pieces and cook just enough for the pork to cook through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the toasted pine nuts and cranberries and set aside.
3. In a saucepan, heat the vegetable oil then add the diced chicken breast and cook until the chicken is almost cooked through. Add salt and pepper to taste then set aside.
4. Preheat the grill to 375˚F. Have an 8″ spring form pan ready for the crust. For an extra smoky flavour, try cooking this pie on a Pellet grill.
5. For the crust, heat the water and butter together just until it comes to a boil. Pour the water and butter mixture into the flour and mix just until it forms a ball of dough. Take ⅓ of the dough and place it on a lightly floured surface. Leave the rest of the dough in a warm place, covered.
6. Roll the dough out into a circle. It needs to be big enough to fit the bottom and sides of the pan. Transfer the rolled out dough to the pan and gently press it into the corners of the pan.
7. To start filling the pie, start with three slices pancetta followed by a layer of the pork mixture, a layer of the onions, a layer of chicken and then another 3 slices of pancetta. Repeat until the pie is filled.
8. Take half of the remaining dough and roll it out to fit the top of the pie. Press the dough together to seal the seams. At this point, you can decorate the top of the pie with leaves, a crown, and a pigeon in the middle. Stick the add-ons with a little bit of the egg wash. Cut 2-4 slices in the center to allow ventilation. Egg wash the crust.
9. Bake for one hour on indirect heat. At this point, the crust should be lightly golden brown but if you notice your bird or edges are getting dark too quickly, cover it with foil. Take off the ring of the springform pan and add any additional leaves or decorations if you desire. Place back on the grill on indirect heat for another 30-40 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 160F. Let it cool before slicing and eating.