Dealing with a brace of Pheasant can be a messy job, in my experience its best just to get rid of the feather and skin by removing it all in one go, then you can get at the flavoursome meat underneath. When cooking pheasant care needs to be taken not to dry out the meat as it hasn’t got a lot of natural fat, in this recipe the meat flavours are enhanced with the addition of the added ingredients giving a dish that is also versatile, eaten hot or cold.
Ingredients.
To serve six.
One Pheasant, skinned and meat removed.
Half tea spoon garam masala,
One pear,( you can use apple) sliced long ways,
4-5 juniper berries semi crushed ( soak before use).
Meat from 3-4 pork sausages,
Table spoon dried or fresh sage,
Garlic cloves to taste. sliced long ways.
3 x packs of Pancetta,
Knob of butter
Salt and Pepper
Foil.
Method
1.Place foil on work surface and smear with butter. Around 18″ long.
2.Place pancetta on foil overlapping side ways to the length of foil.
3.Mix all remaining ingredients together, laying ingredients along pancetta with pear and garlic placed long ways.
4.Roll foil around meat to make large sausage. Twisting the ends around to resemble a cracker.
It is a good idea if possible at this point to refrigerate over night.
To Cook.
5.Bake in oven at 180 deg. for 40 to 45 minutes. Open foil and continue to cook for another 15 to 20 minutes until pancetta is crisp
.
6.Leave to rest for approximately 30 minutes before slicing into portions.
Whisky or redcurrant sauce goes very well.
I also served it with steamed garlic cloves and parsnips crushed and whipped together, which has the consistency of creamy mashed potato.
Steamed carrots
Shredded curly kale, tossed in olive oil, tea spoon fine brown sugar and half teaspoon of salt.
Roast Kale in oven for three lots of three minutes with one minute rest in between. 3-1-3-1-3. Tastes similar to Chinese dried crispy seaweed. (looks good on plate)
Darrell
