Recipe: Roast Pheasant with Wine Sauce

Hookery Cookery Home > Christmas Recipes > Roast Pheasant with Wine Sauce Serves 4

Description/Notes:

To appreciate the distinctive flavour of this dish you must first hang the birds for a week before plucking to tenderise and flavour the meat; delicious served with game chips

Ingredients:

2 young pheasants, hens if possible as they are smaller and more tender

2 oz. (50g) butter

4 rashers straky bacon

1 bouqet garni

2 tbsps. flour

1 tsp. dried thyme

4 fl. oz. (125ml) single cream

salt and pepper

15 fl. oz. (425ml) red wine

Cooking Instructions:

1. Wash and dry the birds and season inside and out with salt and pepper
2. Melt half the butter in a roasting pan, add the pheasants and brown on all sides
3. Arrange the bacon rashers on the pheasant breasts then slowly pour the wine over them
4. Add the thyme and bouquet garni and bring to the boil
5. Roast the pheasants in a pre-heated oven at 350F, Gas Mark 4, 180C for just over an hour or until they are cooked through
6. Remove the pheasants and keep warm
7. Strain the remaining juices from the pan into a jug
8. Gently melt the remaining butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour to form a smooth paste
9. Stir in the juices from the jug, bring to the boil, and simmer for 2 minutes
10. Gradually stir in the cream and heat gently
11. Serve the sauce with the pheasants and game chips