Recipe: roasted pheasant, cabbage, bacon, chestnut and granola

Chef director at The Assembly House in Norwich, Richard Hughes, shares his fabulous pheasant recipe with step-by-step pictures

Ingredients (photo: Steve Adams) (Image: Steve Adams 2017 : 07398 238853)

Whatever you’re cooking should be a reflection of what’s best on the market, so January says to me that we should be cooking the local bounty of game, both furred and feathered, that is in abundance as we come to the close of the shooting season.

The saying goes ‘in the oven before Christmas, in the pot after’, as the birds tend to be a bit tougher towards the end of the season; however in this month’s recipe we are only using the breast meat. The legs contribute the flavour to the sauce, so a short time in the oven works a treat.

Each year the popularity of game birds on the table, indeed of shooting your own supper, seems to increase, leading to a sustainable, relatively inexpensive treat that not only tastes great but is really good for you.

The pheasant is undoubtedly the most popular game bird; its the one you’re sure to spot, usually wandering across the road, making it one of the most attractive buys. However, one of the many perks of living in our glorious county, is that you often don’t have to look too far to get them donated to your dinner table for free.

These birds make great curries, tangines and terrines as well as the more traditional puddings, pies and ‘one pot’ braises at this time of year. This simple recipe is equally at home for a supper or on a dinner party menu. Enjoy it while you can!

Roasted pheasant, cabbage, bacon, chestnut and granola

Ingredients (one portion)

Step 1) Butcher the pheasant; start by opening up the legs and cutting through the leg joints (Image: Steve Adams 2017 : 07398 238853)

1 pheasant

1 Savoy cabbage

50g dry cured streaky bacon

25g chestnuts

2 onions

1 carrot

1 spring rosemary

Step 2) Remove the legs (Image: Steve Adams 2017 : 07398 238853)

1 bunch of sage

2 bayleaf

50ml sherry

50ml double cream

25g granola

25g butter

Step 3) Make the stock; place the legs into a saucepan, with the chopped carrot, bay leaf, rosemary and a little of the sage (Image: Steve Adams 2017 : 07398 238853)

Step 4) Slice one of the onions and add to the pan (Image: Steve Adams 2017 : 07398 238853)

Step 5) Cover the bones with water, bring to a boil and gently simmer for 90 minutes. You may need to top up with water occasionally. At the end of the 90 minutes, increase the heat to reduce to half the volume (Image: Steve Adams 2017 : 07398 238853)

Step 6) Heat the butter in a frying pan. Gently fry the seasoned pheasant crown, browning the sides, before removing it from the pan. Put it into a roasting dish and place a pre-heated oven at gas mark 4 (180c) for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the pheasant from the oven, cover with foil and rest for 10 minutes (Image: Steve Adams 2017 : 07398 238853)

Step 7) Cut the bacon into lardons (Image: Steve Adams 2017 : 07398 238853)

Step 8) Fry the bacon in the same pan that you sealed the pheasant (Image: Steve Adams 2017 : 07398 238853)

Step 9) Slice the remaining onion (Image: Steve Adams 2017 : 07398 238853)

Step 11) Slice the Savoy cabbage (Image: Steve Adams 2017 : 07398 238853)

Step 12) Add the cabbage to the pan (Image: Steve Adams 2017 : 07398 238853)

Step 13) Add the sherry (Image: Steve Adams 2017 : 07398 238853)

Step 14) Add the remaining chopped sage (Image: Steve Adams 2017 : 07398 238853)

Step 15) Add the reduced stock (Image: Steve Adams 2017 : 07398 238853)

Step 16) Add the chestnuts (Image: Steve Adams 2017 : 07398 238853)

Step 17) Add the cream. Season with salt and pepper (Image: Steve Adams 2017 : 07398 238853)

Step 18) Spoon the cabbage onto a serving bowl (Image: Steve Adams 2017 : 07398 238853)

Step 19) Carve the breasts from the pheasant crown (Image: Steve Adams 2017 : 07398 238853)

Step 20) Top the dish with a sprinkling of granola (Image: Steve Adams 2017 : 07398 238853)