Pheasant Casserole

I've never been a great fan of game. It's a bit too strong for my taste. However I just can't resist all the pheasants that are in our local butchers at the moment. You really can't get much more local, free range and organic - and all for £5 for 2 birds which is enough to feed 4!

The first trick with pheasant- if you're not into anything too gamey - is to buy it before its been hung too long, at the beginning of the season and to buy the female birds ( hens to those in the know ;0)). I caused lots of schoolboy guffaws when I asked the butcher if he could tell me which were the female birds - "they'll be the ones with the nice plump breasts my dear" mmmm

The next tip with pheasant is to slow cook it for ages in a sauce. Game can become very dry very quickly if you're not careful. I cook mine for 4 hours in the bottom of the AGA with my homemade sloe and crab apple jelly - perfect.

This is the perfect recipe if you're cooking for guests - paying or otherwise - because all the hard wor is done in the early afternoon. You are then free to dish up and entertain.

Pheasant Casserole

25g butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

50g plain flour

2 hen pheasants

100g smoked streaky bacon

2 medium onions

half pint red wine

one pint chicken stock

fresh bay leaves

fresh sprigs of thyme

2 tablespoons sweet jelly ( I use sloe and crab apple but any jelly such as redcurrant will do )

2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

Melt butter and oil. Brown pheasants all over and remove from pan. Add chopped up streaky bacon and cook till crisp. Add sliced onions and cook till soft. Remove with slotted spoon.

Add flour to fat in pan. Cook for 1 minute. Then gradually add the wine and stock stirring all the time.

Add herbs, jelly, worcestershire sauce, bacon, onion and birds back into pan.

Bring to simmer and then put in a low oven ( 130 degrees celsius or bottom of AGA ) for about 4 hours.

After this time the meat will be falling of the bone.

Take out pheasant and remove meat from bone. Skim off as much fat as possible and reduce sauce. Add meat to sauce to warm through.

Serve with mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts - yum