Two Pheasant recipes for you this month to use up end of season birds.
BEER BRAISED PHEASANT serves 4
2 oven ready pheasants cut in half & backboned, carcass trimmed. 1 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp butter, 2 onions sliced, 1 sprig of thyme, 3 tbsp brandy, 2 tsp brown sugar, 2 tsp clear honey, 300 ml beer, 150 ml double cream, squeeze of lemon juice.
Method:
Season the birds. Heat oil & butter in a roasting tray. Place the birds’ flesh side down & fry over a moderate heat for 10 mins until golden brown turn & cook for 3 mins. Remove birds from tray, place onions & thyme in tray & fry for 2 mins, add brandy & allow to reduce until nearly dry. Add sugar, honey & beer and return birds to tray flesh side up. Bring up to simmer place in oven & roast for 15 -20 mins at 220c/gas mark 7.
Remove birds & leave to rest. Return tray to hob & allow the liquid to reduce by half. Remove thyme then add cream & simmer for a few minutes until the sauce is thickening slightly. Check seasoning and skim any impurities from surface. Finnish with the lemon juice & serve.
CASSEROLED PHEASANTS WITH AROMATICS
25g dried mushrooms, 150 ml hot water, little fat for frying, 2 pheasants jointed, 2 lemon grass stalks, 1 fresh red chilli, 5 cm piece fresh ginger, 4 large cloves garlic, 4 strips orange rind, 175 g fresh blueberries, juice 3 oranges & 1 lemon, 1tbsp cornflour, hand full of fresh coriander leaves, sea salt.
Method:
Put the dried mushrooms in a bowl pour over the hot water & leave to soak for 2 hours. Fry the jointed pheasant in a little oil in two batches until browned on both sides. Place joints in large casserole dish. Using a sharp knife cut the lemon grass across very finely. Cut open the chilli lengthways and discard seeds, peel the ginger & garlic. Chop together with the chilli & scatter over pheasant with the lemon grass. Add the orange rind, blueberries and orange and lemon juice. Strain the water from the mushrooms over the pheasant & press mushrooms between the pheasant joints. Season with salt & cover casserole & cook on the middle shelf at 170c/gas mark 3 for about 2 hours.
Then pour juices from casserole into a pan. Mix cornflower with a little water & stir into the cooking juices, bring to the boil stirring all the time. Cook for 2 mins, pour over pheasant & scatter with the coriander & serve.
All recipes are from village resident, Richard Childs.
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