Pan-fried pheasant breast with gamekeeper's pie
A home-style Pan-fried pheasant breast with gamekeeper's pie made with Sea Salt, Whole Black Pepper Corns, Olive Oil, White Pepper, and Double Cream. Add it to your meal plan and shop the whole list in one go.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp
- 1/2 tsp
- 1 tbsp
- 1/2 tsp
- 2 tbsp
- 1 tbsp
Method (preview)
- 1
For the confit, place the pheasant legs into a non-metallic bowl and sprinkle all over with the salt.
- 2
Set aside for at least 20 minutes and up to one hour.
- 3
Brush the salt from the pheasant legs and transfer them to a small ovenproof dish.
- 4
Pour over the goose fat and add the garlic, garam masala, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and peppercorns.
- 5
Cover the dish with aluminium foil and cook the pheasant legs for 2-2½ hours, or until the meat is falling off the bone.
- 6
Remove from the oven.
- 7
Remove the pheasant legs from the goose fat, reserving the goose fat.
- 8
When the pheasant legs are cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bone, discarding any skin and sinew.
- 9
Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat.
- 10
Add the pheasant carcasses, onion, celery and carrot and fry for 3-5 minutes, or until browned.
- 11
Add the thyme and chicken stock and bring the mixture to the boil.
- 12
Reduce the heat until the mixture is simmering and simmer for one hour, skimming the foam that collects on the surface of the liquid at regular intervals.
- 13
Remove the stock from the heat and strain through a fine sieve lined with a piece of muslin, reserving the strained liquid in a clean saucepan.
- 14
Set aside.
- 15
For the gamekeeper’s pie, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the potatoes and boil for 15-20 minutes, or until tender.
- 16
Drain well and mash thoroughly.
- 17
Heat one tablespoon of the reserved goose fat in a frying pan over a medium heat.
- 18
Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened but not coloured.
- 19
Stir in the pheasant leg meat and sprinkle over the flour.
- 20
Continue to cook for two minutes, then pour in 200ml/7fl oz of the strained stock.
- 21
Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer for 3-4 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool.
- 22
Make a well in the middle of the mashed potato and fill with the pheasant mixture.
- 23
Cover each pie with the remaining mashed potato.
- 24
Cook in the oven for 30 minutes.
- 25
Meanwhile, for the mash, place the swede, carrots and potatoes into a large saucepan.
- 26
Add the stock cube and cover the pan contents with water.
- 27
Bring the water to the boil, reduce the heat until the water is simmering and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
- 28
Drain well and mash thoroughly with the butter.
- 29
Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- 30
Keep warm.
- 31
Heat the olive oil and one tablespoon of the reserved goose fat in a heavy-based, ovenproof frying pan.
- 32
Add the thyme sprigs, then add the pheasant breasts, skin-side down.
- 33
Fry for 2-3 minutes, or until the skin has browned, then turn and cook for a further two minutes on the other side.
- 34
Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 6-7 minutes, or until cooked to your liking.
- 35
Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the pheasant breasts to a warm plate to rest.
- 36
Return the pan to a medium to high heat.
- 37
Add the remaining strained stock and bring to the boil, scraping the browned bits up from the bottom of the pan using a wooden spoon, to deglaze.
- 38
Reduce the heat until the stock is simmering, then simmer until the volume of liquid has reduced by half.
- 39
Stir in the redcurrant jelly.
- 40
To serve, carefully remove the gamekeeper’s pies from the muffin tins using a rounded knife.
- 41
Place one into the centre of each of four plates.
- 42
Spoon a quenelle of mash alongside, and place a pheasant breast on the other side.
- 43
Spoon over the redcurrant sauce.
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