Roast Pheasant with Chestnut Dumplings

Name: Roast Pheasant with Chestnut Dumplings
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: salt and freshly ground black pepper; 4 juniper berries; a little vegetable oil for roasting; 1 tablespoon chopped parsley; 25 g butter; 1 teaspoon chopped thyme leaves; 2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped; 16-18 lightly roasted and shelled (or vacuum-packed cooked) chestnuts; 40 g fresh white breadcrumbs; 2 teaspoons plain flour for dusting; 2 plump pheasants; a few sprigs of thyme; caul fat for wrapping; 60 ml cider; 1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped; 1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped; 1 litre chicken or beef stock

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

British Seasonal Food

By Mark Hix

Published 2008

About

Pheasant has a tendency to overcook and dry out before you know it, but there is a way of avoiding this. By removing the breasts, wrapping them in caul fat and using the thighs, chestnuts and herbs to make dumplings, you end up with a succulent dish, instead of dry, tough meat.

Ingredients

2 plump pheasants
2 teaspoons plain flour for dusting
a little

Europe
United Kingdom
Main course
December
Winter

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas 6. Carefully remove the breasts from the pheasants and set aside. Bone the thighs and finely chop or mince the meat. Chop the thigh bones and drumsticks, dust with the flour and place in an oiled roasting tray with the onion and carrot.