Roast Breast of Pheasant Wrapped in Smoked Bacon with Caraway Cabbage & Gorgonzola Polenta

Name: Roast Breast of Pheasant Wrapped in Smoked Bacon with Caraway Cabbage & Gorgonzola Polenta
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 4 pheasant breasts, bones removed & chopped; 1 bay leaf; 8 smoked bacon rashers; 75 g (3 oz, 6 tablespoons) unsalted butter; Salt & freshly ground black pepper; ½ quantity of Gorgonzola Polenta; 1 teaspoon caraway seeds; 6 black peppercorns, lightly crushed; 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped; 1 Savoy cabbage, central core removed, finely shredded; 1 sprig of fresh thyme; 300 ml (½ pint, 1¼ cups) water; 150 ml (¼ pint, ⅔ cup) Meat Stock; 150 ml (¼ pint, ⅔ cup) red wine; 3 shallots, roughly chopped; 5 (6) tablespoons red wine vinegar; 6 juniper berries, lightly crushed; ½ tablespoon redcurrant jelly; 4 (5) tablespoons port; Freshly grated nutmeg; 4 (5) tablespoons vegetable oil

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

A Passion for Cheese

By Paul Gayler

Published 1997

About

I often serve this winter-inspired dish around Christmas time, garnished with baby roasted onions and glazed chestnuts - delicious! Pheasant has a tendency to be dry if not cooked with care. By wrapping the breasts in smoked bacon you can keep them moist and tender.

Ingredients

4 pheasant breasts, bones removed & chopped
8 smoked bacon rashers
4 (5) tablespoons vegeta

Main course
Winter
Christmas
Gluten-free

Method

Preheat the oven to 220°C, 425°F, gas 7. Season the pheasant breasts all over with salt and pepper, then wrap each one in 2 overlapping rashers of bacon. Secure with a cocktail stick. Heat half the oil and butter in an ovenproof frying pan or shallow casserole dish until foaming, then