cheftallyrand's Articles

what could be better in the West Country than combine some of our best autumn products; pheasant, cooked gently in scrumpy with local apples and gorgeous, rich Devon cream

1. pre-heat the oven to 180C
2. divide the pheasants into legs and breasts and dust lightly with flour seasoned with salt and pepper
3. heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add a little oil 
4. add the breasts to the pan and brown slightly on all sides, wipe out the pan and repeat with the legs, place into a casserole dish
5. peel the apples, cut in half and cut each half into four or six wedges, slice out the core part and add to the casserole dish
6. melt the butter over a low heat in a saucepan and add the finely chopped shallot and celery, cook gently until softened
7. add the scrumpy and simmer until it reduces down to approx.  an egg cup full
8. add the chicken stock and the cream and stir to combine
9. add to the casserole dish and place on a tight fitting lid
10. place into the oven and cook for 20 minutes 
11. remove from the oven and test to see if meat is cooked and tender, replace into oven if not cooked
12. if cooked. remove the pheasant pieces and keep warm
13. place the sauce into a food processor and blitz until smooth, strain into a clean saucepan
14. bring to a simmer, taste and season
15. thicken if required by whisking in a tablespoon of flour mixed with water
16. place the pheasant pieces back into the sauce to ensure they are hot
17. serve

chef notes

serve this with mashed potatoes, deep fried parsnip chips and baby carrots, and Sunday brunch will never be the same again

for the deep fried parsnip chips, peel the parsnip and using the peeler, shave off lengths, deep fry at 160 - 170C until a light golden brown and crisp

See also

pheasant - butter roasted 
pheasant - braised with scrumpy
pheasant - winter cassoulet