Kangaroo Tail Pie

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

● 3 large sheets quality puff pastry
● 20 g butter, melted (for brushing)

● 1kg Paroo kangaroo tail
● 100g streaky bacon, sliced into 1 cm strips
● 200g brown mushrooms, quartered
● 6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
● 1 bottle dark beer
● 600ml beef stock
● 25g Dijon mustard
● 2 sprigs thyme
● 2 sprigs sage
● 1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 30 ml cold water (slurry)
● 1 onion, diced

HOW TO COOK IT

Prepare the filling
● Preheat oven to 140°C.
● Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add kangaroo tail pieces and sear on all sides until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
● In the same pot, add bacon, onion, mushrooms, and garlic. Cook for 10 minutes or until softened and lightly browned.
● Return kangaroo tail to the pot and stir through.
● Add dark beer and Dijon mustard. Cook on high heat until the liquid has reduced by half.
● Add beef stock, thyme, and sage. Simmer for 10 minutes.
● Stir in cornflour slurry and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring often.
● Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven. Cook for 3 hours, or until the meat is tender and falls from the bone.
● Carefully remove all bones (watching for small fragments).
● Allow the filling to cool for at least 20 minutes before assembling the pie.

Assemble the pie
● Preheat oven to 190°C.
● Line a pie dish with 2 sheets of puff pastry, pressing gently the edges together. Trim any excess.
● Blind bake pie crust
● Spoon the cooled roo tail filling into the pastry base, spreading evenly.
● Place a second sheet of puff pastry over the top, sealing the edges firmly with your fingers or a fork.
● Cut small slits in the centre of the pastry lid to allow steam to escape.
● Brush the top with melted butter.

Bake
● Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until pastry is crisp, puffed, and golden brown.
● Remove and allow to cool for 10–15 minutes before slicing.

Serve
● Slice into generous portions and serve with a good quality tomato sauce.

Chefs Tips:
Low and slow: if you don't have a dutch oven, you can make the pie filling in a slow cooker - the long cook time breaks down connective tissue for tender, flavour-packed meat.

Bone removal: Take extra care when removing bones after cooking. Roo tail can have small fragments that need to be checked before filling the pie.