Pot roasting pheasant produces a beautifully tender bird where the meat literally falls from the bone. Serve with creamy mashed potato and some buttered greens or broccoli for a deeply satisfying meal.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 50g butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 oven-ready pheasants
- 6 shallots, peeled and cut in half
- 4 large sticks celery, each cut into 3 pieces
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 2 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
- 500ml white wine
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Preheat the oven if necessary to 160 C/Esse Dial Guide MODERATE. (Aim for the dial reading to be at the low end or middle of MODERATE).
- Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large flameproof casserole that is large enough to hold both pheasants snugly. When foaming, add a pheasant and fry until crisp and golden on all sides. Transfer to a plate and cook the second pheasant in the same way. Transfer to the plate.
- Reduce the heat, add the shallots and cook for 10 minutes until softened. Add the celery, garlic, fennel seeds and salt and pepper to taste. Pour in the wine and return the pheasants to the dish. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook in the oven for 1-11/2 hours, until the meat is very tender.
- Remove the pheasants from the dish and divide into serving pieces. Keep warm while simmering the sauce on the hob until slightly thickened. Serve with the meat.
Tip
For a glossier and slightly more thickened sauce stir in 2 tbsp conserve into the juices after reducing. Blackcurrant or Wild Blueberry conserve are ideal choices.
