Roasted pheasant with bread sauce
Ingredients
For the roasted pheasant
2 pheasants
4 Tbsp rapeseed oil (or other non-scented oil)
2 Tbsp unsalted butter (optional)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the pheasant juice
7 Tbsp red wine
2 Tbsp ruby port
2 crushed juniper berries
1 sprig fresh thyme
For the bread sauce
1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup white onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 cloves, crushed
2 pinches salt
2 small bacon strips
5 fl oz full-fat milk
1 slice white bread, broken into pieces
For the roasted pheasant
2 pheasants
4 Tbsp rapeseed oil (or other non-scented oil)
2 Tbsp unsalted butter (optional)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the pheasant juice
7 Tbsp red wine
2 Tbsp ruby port
2 crushed juniper berries
1 sprig fresh thyme
For the bread sauce
1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup white onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 cloves, crushed
2 pinches salt
2 small bacon strips
5 fl oz full-fat milk
1 slice white bread, broken into pieces
Instructions
For the roasted pheasant, preheat the oven to 375.
On a medium heat, in a ovenproof frying pan, heat the rapeseed oil and butter (if using) until foaming.
Lay the pheasants in the pan, cook until golden-brown in color (about 3-5 minutes) on the leg sides. Turn the pheasants onto their breast side to color for a further 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; transfer to the oven and cook for 30 minutes, turning halfway through cooking time. To check the pheasant is correctly cooked, you can use a meat thermometer – the breast temperature for a cock pheasant should reach 145 and for a hen 140. (The leg temperature should reach 175-180.) When cooked, set the pheasant aside in a warm place, covered, to rest.
Spoon out the fat from the pan and add the wine, port, juniper and thyme into the roasting pan. On a high heat quickly cook until the volume of liquid has reduced by one third. Scrape the caramelized juices off the bottom of the pan to make the juice. Taste and season if necessary. Strain and reserve in a warmed bowl or pot.
For the bread sauce, in a small saucepan on a low heat gently heat the butter and fry the onion with the herbs, crushed cloves and salt for two minutes, or until soft. Add the bacon strips and continue to cook uncovered for one minute. Add the milk, bring to a simmer and stir in the pieces of bread until the sauce is smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
To serve, carve the pheasant and serve it over a mound of bread sauce with the juice poured over.
For the roasted pheasant, preheat the oven to 375.
On a medium heat, in a ovenproof frying pan, heat the rapeseed oil and butter (if using) until foaming.
Lay the pheasants in the pan, cook until golden-brown in color (about 3-5 minutes) on the leg sides. Turn the pheasants onto their breast side to color for a further 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; transfer to the oven and cook for 30 minutes, turning halfway through cooking time. To check the pheasant is correctly cooked, you can use a meat thermometer – the breast temperature for a cock pheasant should reach 145 and for a hen 140. (The leg temperature should reach 175-180.) When cooked, set the pheasant aside in a warm place, covered, to rest.
Spoon out the fat from the pan and add the wine, port, juniper and thyme into the roasting pan. On a high heat quickly cook until the volume of liquid has reduced by one third. Scrape the caramelized juices off the bottom of the pan to make the juice. Taste and season if necessary. Strain and reserve in a warmed bowl or pot.
For the bread sauce, in a small saucepan on a low heat gently heat the butter and fry the onion with the herbs, crushed cloves and salt for two minutes, or until soft. Add the bacon strips and continue to cook uncovered for one minute. Add the milk, bring to a simmer and stir in the pieces of bread until the sauce is smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
To serve, carve the pheasant and serve it over a mound of bread sauce with the juice poured over.