As Jon has pointed out, a brace of oven-ready pheasants is unlikely to cost more than £10 – much less on occasions – and will certainly make a good meal for four, (and the thighs can be used to make a pâté or pie for another day.)
As with most game, it is very lean, though, and care needs to be taken with the cooking to keep the flesh moist. Most game birds are better cooked a touch pink to keep them from drying out and, whilst the accuracy of the cooking is important, it’s always better to aim for under rather than over.
Pot-roasting is a great technique for smallish birds such as pheasant as the meat cooks gently in the steam and is flavoured by the aromatic liquids and the caramelization from the initial sear in a pan. Fat from good streaky bacon also helps and, as with any meat cookery, the final stage of resting is absolutely vital.
SERVES 4 AS A MAIN COURSE
2 pheasant crowns
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 onion, peeled and cut into 8 wedges
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
150ml cider
200ml chicken or pheasant stock (see Basics p. 285)
4 slices smoked, streaky bacon, stretched with the back of a knife and cut in half
2 Braeburn apples, peeled, cored and cut into 8 wedges
75ml double cream
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
1 tsp cornflour slaked in 1 tbsp cold water
Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C.
2. Rub the pheasant skin with 1 tsp of oil and season well. Heat a heavy-based frying pan and very quickly seal the pheasants on the skin side. Remove the pheasants and use the same pan to soften the onions in the remaining oil, adding a pinch of salt.
3. Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes longer. Pour in the cider and reduce completely. Add the stock and bring to a simmer.
4. Tip the onion mix into a large casserole which will hold the pheasants fairly tightly. Place the sealed pheasants in the casserole, cover the birds with the strips of bacon, scatter the apple around and seal with a tight-fitting lid. Cook in the oven for 25–30 minutes.
5. Remove the pheasant to rest in a warm place. Take off the bacon and crisp under a hot grill. Drain the liquid from the casserole into a pan, add the cream and mustard and place over a high heat to reduce slightly. Thicken with the cornflour, adding gradually as you may not need it all – a thick double-cream consistency is what you are looking for. Adjust the seasoning and add the sauce back to the apple and onion mix.
6. Carve the breasts from the pheasant, checking for shot as you do so. Divide the sauce with the apple and onion between the plates, top with the pheasant andfinish with the bacon.
7. Serve with creamy mash and some buttered greens.