Roast pheasant, parsnip hash, baby leeks and prunes
by
- Main
- Medium
- 2
- 1 hour 30 minutes
PT1H30M
Pheasant, parsnips, baby leeks and a rich game jus – this recipe by Joe Fox is a wonderful celebration of British winter produce. The idea of cooking pheasant can seem a bit daunting but this method couldn't be easier – Joe roasts the crown for ten minutes, then rests the bird and carves. This recipe also works with chicken, if you'd prefer a different bird.
Ingredients
- 1 pheasant , oven-ready, thighs and drumsticks removed
- 1 bunch of baby leeks
- 2 knobs of salted butter
- 2 parsnips , peeled
- 1 egg white
- 1 pinch of allspice
- 8 pitted prunes
- 200ml of Madeira
- vegetable oil, for frying
- salt , to taste
- pepper , to taste
Game jus
- 150g of butter
- 4 pheasant carcasses , broken into pieces
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 bunch of thyme
- 100g of onion , diced
- 100g of celery , diced
- 100g of carrots , diced
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- 5 allspice berries
- 1/2 orange , zested
- 2l chicken stock
- 150ml of red wine
- 50ml of Marsala wine
- salt , to taste
Equipment
- 5cm pastry cutter
Method
1
Start by making the game jus. Melt the butter in a large stockpot and brown the pheasant carcasses in the butter until golden brown
2
Add the bay leaves, thyme, carrot, onion and celery to the pot and cook until the vegetables have softened (around 5 minutes)
3
Add the cinnamon stick, star anise, orange zest and allspice berries and cook for a minute. Drain any excess fat out of the pan, then add the red wine and Marsala and reduce by two-thirds
4
Add the chicken stock and leave the jus to simmer for an hour or so, until you have a nice glossy sauce. Skim any fat/impurities from the top when necessary, then taste for seasoning, pass through a muslin cloth and set aside to reheat before serving
5
Preheat an oven to 180ºC/gas mark 4
6
Combine the prunes and Madeira in a bowl and leave to soak
7
Bring a pan of water to the boil and par-boil the parsnips (around 5 minutes). Allow to cool, then coarsely grate and mix with the egg white, allspice and a large pinch of salt and pepper. The mixture should be quite firm
8
With the parsnip mixture ready, colour the pheasant in a frying pan with a knob of butter, so the skin is a nice golden brown colour. Roast the pheasant in the oven for 10 minutes, then remove and rest for another 10 minutes
9
Whilst the pheasant is resting, finish the parsnip hash. Divide the parsnip mixture in half, then press each half into a 5cm cutter or metal ring so the hash is about 2cm high. Shallow fry the hash in vegetable oil on both sides until it is golden brown and cooked through, then remove and drain on kitchen paper. Keep warm in a low oven or in the pan until ready to serve
10
Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the leeks for 3-4 minutes until soft. Drain and toss with a knob of butter and keep warm
11
Drain the prunes and place them in the game jus. Let them sit in there for a couple of minutes while reheating the jus before you serve
12
Carve the pheasant breasts off the bone and plate the parsnip hash, with a pheasant breast on top and some baby leeks. Finish with a few prunes and the jus and serve
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Roast pheasant, parsnip hash, baby leeks and prunes
