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Roast pheasant breast
Ingredients
- 2 crowns of pheasant
- 110g/4oz butter
- Salt & pepper
- 225g/8oz button mushrooms
- 4tbsp dry sherry
- 150ml/¼ pt chicken stock
- 150ml/¼ pt double cream
- 2 slices back bacon, cut into strips
- 2 shallots, halved
- 110g/4oz pre packed chestnuts, roughly chopped
- 1tbsp chopped parsley
- 2tbsp rapeseed oil
- 450g/1lb potatoes, peeled and finely sliced
- 90ml/3½ fl oz red wine
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.
- Smear 25g/1oz of butter on each crown then place on a roasting tray in the oven to roast for 10-12 minutes until just cooked through. Remove and set aside to rest.
- Heat a frying pan until hot, add 25g/1oz of the butter and the sliced mushrooms and cook until golden brown. Add the sherry and cook until reduced by two-thirds.
- Add the stock to the tray used to cook the pheasant and set over the heat, stir to loosen up any juices then strain through a sieve into the pan with the mushrooms.
- Add the double cream, bring to a simmer then cook until reduced by half, then season with salt and black pepper.
- Meanwhile, heat a separate frying pan until hot, add the bacon and fry until it releases it’s oil and turns just golden brown.
- Add the shallots, chopped chestnuts and parsley, stir to combine, then season well and put to one side.
- Heat a small frying pan until hot, then add the oil and remove from the heat. Lay the potato slices in overlapping rings to cover the bottom of the pan, season with salt and pepper then spoon the chestnut mixture over the top to cover.
- Lay another layer of overlapping potato slices on top and return to the heat. Cook until just golden brown and the slices have set together then carefully, slide out onto a plate, flip over and return to the pan and gently press down with a fish slice.
- Add the red wine then cover with foil and return to a gentle heat to cook for about 10 minutes until the wine has evaporated and the potato is tender.
- Carefully turn out, serve the pheasant and sauce around.
