Bunny and leek pies
Makes 10

Ingredients:
For Suet Pastry
175g Frozen Suet
350g Plain, sifted flour
200ml Cold Water
Pinch of Salt

For Filling:
Olive oil
1 medium sized rabbit, segmented
4 leeks, sliced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs thyme
1 bottle belgian blonde beer
1L chicken stock
Handful chopped parsley

Eggwash


Method:
Make the pastry first, it will benifit from resting in the fridge.
   
In a food processor, blitz the Suet to a grated consistancy. Then mix in half the flour to stop it from becomeing sticky. Transfer to a bowl and add the remaining flour and salt. Use your finger tips to rub the suet into the flour, leave it a bit rough though.

Add the water a little at a time unti the pastry comes together, knead for 3 minutes. Wrap in cling film and refridgerate until required. It will keep in the fridge for a few days, otherwise you can freeze it.



Heat heavy based casserole pot or similar over medium heat and pour in a good amount of olive oil. Season rabbit pieces, add to pot and brown, in batches if necessary. Remove from pot.

Saute leek and garlic until softened and slightly browned, add herbs, return rabbit pieces to pot.
   
Deglaze with beer and bring to the boil. Add stock, turn heat down to low, cover and cook on stove or in low oven for three hours or until rabbit is very tender and falling from bone. Leave to cool.

Remove rabbit pieces from braising liquid. Discard herbs. Return pot to stove and simmer until mixture is somewhat reduced and a bit more unctuous. Strip all the meat from the rabbit, being very careful to remove all bones - rabbit bones are very delicate and can break easily. Return meat to the cooking liquid. Leave to cool then stir through chopped parsley.

Roll out pastry to about 5mm thickness on a well floured surface (dough may be quite sticky). Cut rounds of pastry to line tin (eg. muffin tin, cupcake tin, pie tin). Grease tin well and line moulds with pastry, with some overlap. Fill each pie with rabbit mixture - do not overfill.

Brush the rim of pastry with eggwash then place the pastry lid on top, carefully sealing the edges so there are no gaps. Use a knife or fork to pierce the lid to let steam out of the pie. Brush with more eggwash. Bake at 180 degrees for 20 mins or until the pies are golden brown.