Confit duck pies

This mini pies would be perfect for a party - you can prepare the pastry and duck ahead of time and assemble on the day.

Ingredients

For the confit duck

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 small duck legs
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 1 celery stalk, finely diced
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 small potato, finely diced
• 500ml/18fl oz beef stock
• 25ml/1fl oz port
• 50g/2oz redcurrants

For the pastry

• 75g/3oz butter
• 75g/3oz beef suet
• 300g/10½oz plain flour
• 2 free-range egg yolks, whisked
• few fresh thyme sprigs, leaves picked

To serve

• 50g/2oz redcurrants

Preparation method

1. For the confit duck, heat the vegetable oil in a casserole and brown the duck legs on all sides. Add the chopped vegetables and cook for a further five minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2. Pour in enough stock to cover the legs, bring to a gentle simmer and cover with the lid.
3. Braise over a low heat for two hours, or until the meat is falling from the bones.
4. Remove the duck legs, increase the heat and continue to cook the liquid until the volume of the liquid has reduced by half. Add the port and redcurrants and continue to cook until the sauce has reduced to a thick gravy. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve and return to a clean pan.
5. Shred the meat from the duck legs using a fork and set aside.
6. For the pastry, blend the butter, suet and flour in a food processor until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add 50ml/2fl oz cold water, a little at a time, and pulse until the mixture just comes together as a dough (you might not need all the water).
7. Knead the dough lightly, then wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
8. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease a 12-hole muffin tray.
9. Roll the pastry out on a floured work surface to roughly the thickness of a pound coin.
10. Using a 7cm/2¾in cutter, cut out 12 pastry circles and use them to line a 12-hole muffin tray. Keep the excess pastry for the pie tops. Prick the base of the pastry with a fork then line with greaseproof paper and baking beans.
11. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, then remove the greaseproof paper and baking beans and bake for a further five minutes, or until golden-brown.
12. Cut out 12 squares from the remaining pastry and place onto a baking tray, brush with the egg yolk and sprinkle with thyme leaves and a little salt. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden-brown.
13. To serve, carefully remove the pastry cases from the tin, place a spoonful of shredded duck inside with a few redcurrants. Add a little gravy and top with a pastry lid.

By Tom Rennolds

From MasterChef

Less than 30 mins preparation time

Over 2 hours cooking time

Makes 12