pheasant with pancetta

Preparation time 35 minutes

Cooking temperature low

Cooking time 2½-3 hours

Serves 4

4 pheasant breasts, about 600 g (1 lb 3 oz) in total

small bunch of sage

100 g (3½ oz) smoked pancetta, sliced

25 g (1 oz) butter

200 g (7 oz) shallots, halved if large

2 tablespoons plain flour

150 ml (¼ pint) dry cider

150 ml (¼ pint) chicken stock

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 dessert apple, cored and sliced

240 g (7¾ oz) can whole peeled chestnuts, drained

salt and pepper

steamed baby carrots, to serve

Preheat the slow cooker if necessary; see the manufacturer’s instructions. Rinse the pheasant breasts with cold water, pat dry with kitchen paper and season well with salt and pepper. Top each breast with a few sage leaves, then wrap in pancetta slices until completely covered. Tie at intervals with fine string to keep the pancetta in place.

Heat the butter in a frying pan, add the shallots and fry for 4–5 minutes or until browned. Stir in the flour, then add the cider, stock and mustard. Add the apple and chestnuts and a little extra salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, stirring.

Arrange the pheasant breasts in the slow cooker pot. Pour the hot onion mixture over the top, cover with the lid and cook on low for 2½–3 hours or until the pheasant is tender and cooked through to the centre. Spoon on to plates, remove the string from the pheasant and serve with baby carrots.

For pheasant with bacon & red wine, add a sage leaf to each pheasant breast, then wrap each one with a stretched rasher of smoked streaky bacon. Fry as above with the shallots until the bacon is browned. Stir in the flour, then add 150 ml (½ pint) red wine in place of the cider, stock and mustard. Omit the apple and instead add 8 halved ready-to-eat prunes and the chestnuts. Cook as above.