LESLEY WATERS COOKERY SCHOOL
Pheasant au vin
This is a French classic with a modern slant. This rich ragout of shallots, garlic, prunes, laced with red wine, port and herbs, finished with a hit of dark chocolate, makes a divine robust sauce to serve alongside, pheasant breasts. Serve with creamed potatoes or parsnip and potato mash.
Ingredients
For the sauce:
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20g unsalted butter
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8 shallots, peeled and halved
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1tsp caster sugar
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1 clove garlic, crushed
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3tsp flour
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200mls chicken stock
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300ml red wine
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8 prunes halved
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2 bay leaves
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Large sprig fresh thyme
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2 tablespoons port
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15g very dark chocolate
For the pheasant:
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30g butter
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4 pheasant breasts
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200g black pudding (optional)
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12 rashers Denhay streaky bacon
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Method
1. In a pan heat the butter. Add the shallots and sugar and fry for 10 minutes until golden. Add the garlic and prunes and fry for a further minute. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the red wine, stock, bay, thyme and season with black pepper. Bring to the boil and simmer for 8-10 minutes until syrupy and glossy. Add the port and chocolate, heat through and season to taste.
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2. Preheat the oven to 200c/gas mark 6.
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3. Lay the pheasant breasts on a board and crumble over the black pudding, wrap with the bacon.
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4. Heat a large frying pan add the butter and place in the pheasant breasts and cook for 2/3 minutes each side on a medium heat until really golden brown and place in a roasting tin. Place in the oven for approx. 10 minutes. Remove from oven, cover lightly with foil and leave to rest for 5 minutes before slicing each breast on an angle into 2 or 3 slices.
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5. To serve, spoon the sauce onto 4 large, warm soup plates and top with the sliced pheasant. Decorate with some fresh thyme sprigs and take straight to the table. Serve with your favourite vegetables.
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