Don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients. This is actually quite a simple way to cook pheasant, and a delicious alternative for Sunday lunch. Serves 4.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan
Make sure the pheasants are clean and dry inside by wiping them out with kitchen towel.
To make the stuffing, mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl; divide half the stuffing between the two pheasants and cook the remaining half separately in an ovenproof dish. Season the birds with a little salt and pepper and leave to one side.
Add the butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a frying pan, place the pan over a medium heat and brown the pheasants on all sides. Place the pheasants in a casserole dish, breast side down. Then in a clean pan, fry the shallots and 100g of the Pancetta in the remaining oil until the mixture begins to turn golden brown. Add 100g of the chestnuts to the pan and cook for a further minute. Transfer the mixture to the casserole dish, add the juniper berries, thyme, bay leaves, 200ml of the sloe gin and the wine, season with a little salt and pepper, cover with a lid and place in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
About 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time, take the casserole out of the oven and turn the pheasants over. Cover with a lid and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes.
When the pheasants are almost cooked, fry the remaining Pancetta and chestnuts in a frying pan with a knob of butter until golden brown.
Remove the pheasants from the casserole dish and skim off any excess fat. Place the casserole dish over a medium heat, add the remaining 50ml sloe gin and allow the sauce to reduce and thicken slightly. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Place the pheasants on a serving dish, garnish with the golden Pancetta and chestnuts and sprinkle over the chopped parsley.
Serve immediately with mashed potatoes, buttered Brussels sprouts and the remaining stuffing.
Many thanks to Rachel Green and Eat Game, supported by BASC for this recipe.
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