Pheasant with confit beetroot & cavolo nero

Try and source your pheasant from a butcher who has hung them for a few days, young hen pheasants are by far the best for roasting, cock pheasants and older birds are better suited for the casserole pan.

Ingredients

2 Hen pheasant (800-900g) 
4 Large beetroot
4 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Head cavolo nero, stem removed and roughly chopped
100ml Rapeseed oil
50g Butter
100ml Water (boiling, from the kettle)
Salt & pepper 

 

Method

Cook the beetroot in salt water for 1 hour or until soft, peel & quarter them and place into a large roasting tin, drizzle with the rapeseed oil and red wine vinegar.

In a large frying pan, colour each pheasant by frying on each side for 2-3 minutes using meat tongs to carefully turn them. Place the 2 pheasant in the roasting tray with the beetroot spaced around them and season with salt & pepper. Cook in an oven pre-heated to 200C for a further 25 minutes or until the centre of the pheasant registers 60C with a meat thermometer.

Remove the pheasant from the tray and leave to rest in a warm place under tin foil. Add the boiling water, butter and cavolo nero to the tray with the beetroot and boil over a high heat for 5 minutes until the cavolo nero is cooked. Return the pheasant to the pan. Carve the pheasant at the table and serve with the beetroot, cavelo nero and some of the pan juices.

Bread sauce would be a perfect accompaniment (Sophie’s Mum’s secret recipe is going to be featured on next month's Christmas blog!)