Try this one... Wild Pheasant and Foraged Chestnut stew you'll love it!
As it is Winter there isnt many great opportunities to go out and gather wild food, so I made this with some nuts that I had gathered late last year.
So, luckily for me I have had some plump foraged sweet chestnuts sitting in a wooden bowl in my kitchen since late Autumn. The chestnuts were foraged from Danbury woods (Essex, UK) and have kept perfectly since their collection sharing the bowl with some Walnuts from a mates garden.
I was holding onto them as Winter especially January and February are particularly tough on the seasonal cook.. Anyway, got wind that the butcher in the market was doing some good deals on Pheasants (it was nearly Feb and the shooters were getting as many in as possible before the season ended!) the butchers was full of them, but if you have a couple of plump birds in the freezer that you have shot all the better!
Ended up getting three Pheasants for a tenner!!
I knew of a great way of cooking Pheasants and combining them with the chestnuts that I had foraged the previous year, so here it is!
Wild Pheasant and Foraged Chestnut Stew:
Ingredients:
2 x Wild Pheasants
Maldon Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper
Juniper Berries
Half a cup of Flour
2 x Carrots
2 x Onions
2 x Celery Sticks
Two large glasses of Red Wine
Couple of handfuls of Foraged Chestnuts
From the Garden:
Few Bay Leaves
Bunch of Thyme
Sprig of Rosemary
Obviously you can buy chestnuts but if you have got some whole chestnuts give them a light roasting by cutting small crosses in the top and at 200 degrees heat them for between 10 and twenty minutes (depending on the size of the chestnut). Leave the oven on for the stew and set aside the chestnuts to cool.
Now, de-joint the pheasants by simply taking the breasts and legs off, try and leave the pheasant meat in four large pieces and dont worry too much if you have left some meat on the carcass as you can make a lovely game stock with both of the carcasses. In a bowl prepare add your flour, heavily season the flour and the crush eight or so Juniper berries, add these to the flour too! Throw in your Pheasant pieces toss them in the seasoned flour and then brush off any excess.
In a large frying pan, heat some oil and then seal your pheasant pieces. Dont crowd the pan with to much Pheasant as you want a quick searing heat to lightly brown the jointed pieces. Once all of the Pheasant is browned, set aside.
Meanwhile peel your chestnuts and chop your veggies. Fry the vegetables with (with a little extra oil if you need it) and cook until sweet and soft. Next add your Bay leaves, chopped Thyme and the Sprig of Rosemary, deglaze the pan with the red wine, cook for thirty seconds then add the browned Pheasant pieces and the roasted chestnuts back to the pan. Top up with water until the Pheasant is completely covered and then cover the pan with top with tin foil. If you can find an ovenproof lid for the saucepan and put on top of the pan to stop the tin foil rising up. Cook in the oven for two hours at 200 degrees.
Once two hours have passed using tongs remove the now tender Pheasant pieces and place them on a warm plate. Reduce the lovely stock by half and remove the bay leaves and rosemary sprig check the seasoning of the sauce. Finally place your wild Pheasant pieces to two warm plates (yes I am greedy!) cover in the sauce and serve with herby Polenta or creamy mashed Potato!
Winter Warmer done! If you try it let me know! Or try my other Wild Food Winter Warmer Wild Venison and Chanterelle Mushroom Wellington!
As it is Winter there isnt many great opportunities to go out and gather wild food, so I made this with some nuts that I had gathered late last year.
So, luckily for me I have had some plump foraged sweet chestnuts sitting in a wooden bowl in my kitchen since late Autumn. The chestnuts were foraged from Danbury woods (Essex, UK) and have kept perfectly since their collection sharing the bowl with some Walnuts from a mates garden.
I was holding onto them as Winter especially January and February are particularly tough on the seasonal cook.. Anyway, got wind that the butcher in the market was doing some good deals on Pheasants (it was nearly Feb and the shooters were getting as many in as possible before the season ended!) the butchers was full of them, but if you have a couple of plump birds in the freezer that you have shot all the better!
Ended up getting three Pheasants for a tenner!!
I knew of a great way of cooking Pheasants and combining them with the chestnuts that I had foraged the previous year, so here it is!
Wild Pheasant and Foraged Chestnut Stew:
Ingredients:
2 x Wild Pheasants
Maldon Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper
Juniper Berries
Half a cup of Flour
2 x Carrots
2 x Onions
2 x Celery Sticks
Two large glasses of Red Wine
Couple of handfuls of Foraged Chestnuts
From the Garden:
Few Bay Leaves
Bunch of Thyme
Sprig of Rosemary
Obviously you can buy chestnuts but if you have got some whole chestnuts give them a light roasting by cutting small crosses in the top and at 200 degrees heat them for between 10 and twenty minutes (depending on the size of the chestnut). Leave the oven on for the stew and set aside the chestnuts to cool.
Now, de-joint the pheasants by simply taking the breasts and legs off, try and leave the pheasant meat in four large pieces and dont worry too much if you have left some meat on the carcass as you can make a lovely game stock with both of the carcasses. In a bowl prepare add your flour, heavily season the flour and the crush eight or so Juniper berries, add these to the flour too! Throw in your Pheasant pieces toss them in the seasoned flour and then brush off any excess.
In a large frying pan, heat some oil and then seal your pheasant pieces. Dont crowd the pan with to much Pheasant as you want a quick searing heat to lightly brown the jointed pieces. Once all of the Pheasant is browned, set aside.
Meanwhile peel your chestnuts and chop your veggies. Fry the vegetables with (with a little extra oil if you need it) and cook until sweet and soft. Next add your Bay leaves, chopped Thyme and the Sprig of Rosemary, deglaze the pan with the red wine, cook for thirty seconds then add the browned Pheasant pieces and the roasted chestnuts back to the pan. Top up with water until the Pheasant is completely covered and then cover the pan with top with tin foil. If you can find an ovenproof lid for the saucepan and put on top of the pan to stop the tin foil rising up. Cook in the oven for two hours at 200 degrees.
Once two hours have passed using tongs remove the now tender Pheasant pieces and place them on a warm plate. Reduce the lovely stock by half and remove the bay leaves and rosemary sprig check the seasoning of the sauce. Finally place your wild Pheasant pieces to two warm plates (yes I am greedy!) cover in the sauce and serve with herby Polenta or creamy mashed Potato!
Winter Warmer done! If you try it let me know! Or try my other Wild Food Winter Warmer Wild Venison and Chanterelle Mushroom Wellington!
and Himself's not keep on neeps neither.
