GLORIOUS GAME

In an age of climate change, sustainability, dwindling food sources and obesity, game could be a solution for helping tackle these problems, head on. Game is an incredibly healthy source of food and much leaner than farmed meats, due to the natural diets of the animals and their active lifestyle compared with farmed animals. There’s no intensive farming and game is often locally sourced. 

The book includes dishes that use the whole range of game with a unique collection of recipes that are achievable for the home cook, with everything from

Serves 4 

Roast pheasant —

• 1 whole pheasant, approx 1kg
• salt
• 20g butter, melted
• 2 tbsps mixed chopped soft herbs, such as chervil, parsley, chives

Pheasant legs —

• 2 pheasant legs, from the pheasant
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 clove garlic, peeled 
• 1 tsp salt

For the pheasant, remove the legs – you can always ask your butcher to do this for you. Keep the legs to one side for the pot-roasting later.

 Evenly season the pheasant crown with salt on all sides. Place the crown onto a tray and put in the oven at 120°C/250°F/gas mark ½ for about 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, brush the pheasant with melted butter and turn oven up to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7. Cook for a further 10 minutes. This will give you a crispy, golden bird. Remove from the oven, pour over the cooking liquid and leave to cool on a wire rack for at least 5 minutes. Once rested carefully place onto a presentation plate with some fresh herbs and serve to carve at the table. Alternatively you can remove the breasts, slice and serve.          

For the pheasant legs, separate the thighs from the drumsticks. Place the pheasant thighs on a plate, skin side down. Evenly rub each one with the lemon zest and garlic then season with salt.