MultiMeat Pie

MultiMeat Pie. Recipe created the the "Ready, Set, Cook" competition in June 2002. I basically adapted an existing medieval recipe which my friends have all enjoyed. Have fun with the polenta 'pie case'. You can always substitute a regular pastry case for the polenta.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 45 mins
• Serves: 10-12
• Yields: 1 large pie

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 lbs ground beef
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1⁄8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1⁄8 teaspoon ginger
• 2  cups  cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped
• 2  cups  cooked  pork tenderloin, chopped
• 4  dates, chopped
• 1⁄4 cup  chicken stock
• 2  hardboiled egg
• 1  tablespoon currants
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1⁄4 teaspoon mace
• 4  mushrooms, cut into thin slices (your favourite sort)

• For the Polenta Crust

• 1 1⁄2 cups polenta (only powdered form available in Australia.)
• 2  ounces parmesan cheese
• 2  tablespoons butter
• 7 1⁄2 cups milk, and water mixed
•  ground black pepper

• For the sauce

• 1⁄4 pint water
• 2  tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
• 1⁄2 clove garlic, crushed
• 2  tablespoons  balsamic vinegar
• 1⁄2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  anchovy essence

Directions

1. Prepare the polenta the night before: In a large saucepan, bring the milk and water to the boil and stir in the salt.
2. While stirring with a wooden spoon, trickle the polenta into the boiling liquid in a steady stream and continue stirring until the mixture has thickened.
3. Lower the heat and simmer gently for about 20 minutes, stirring very frequently.
4. Add the butter, grated parmesan cheese and pepper.
5. Lightly grease a shallow roasting pan and pour in the polenta mixture.
6. Cool then chill overnight.
7. For the pie: Grease a deep pie dish.
8. Cut out a circle (or square) of the polenta-- enough to make a pie crust top reaching to the edges of the pie dish.
9. Set it aside.
10. Cut a similar piece for the bottom of the dish.
11. Line the sides of the dish with the remaining polenta.
12. (So the entire*pie crust* will be made of polenta).
13. In a small bowl mix the ground beef, 1/8 tsp cinnamon, ground cloves and ginger, salt and pepper.
14. Steep for 15 minutes.
15. In a second bowl, mix the chicken, dates, currants ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg and mace and chicken stock.
16. Allow to steep In a third bowl combine the pork and all the sauce ingredients.
17. Allow to steep for 15 minutes.
18. Around the outer edge of the pie case pack in the steeped beef.
19. Just inside the beef, pack in the steeped chicken/fruit mix.
20. Just inside the chicken, pack in the steeped pork.
21. This should leave a*hole* in the centre for the two hard boiled eggs.
22. Sprinkle sliced mushrooms across the top of the meats.
23. Brush the topsides of the polenta with a little melted butter and cover the pie mix with the polenta top (previously set aside).
24. Brush the top of the polenta with melted butter.
25. Bake the pie for 15 minutes at 425F, then reduce the heat and cook for about another 30 minutes at 350F (until the polenta is evenly browned – do not allow to burn).
26. Serve with cooked artichoke hearts, stir-fried broccoli florets and cooked ramen noodles.
27. You could always serve the beans and a lettuce/cilantro salad as a side dish.
28. For a desert, make Peach Melba – take cooked peach halves, top each with 1 teaspoon raspberry jam and top that with scoop of vanilla ice cream.