Pot roast pheasant with chestnuts

This is an exceptional pheasant dish.  The flavour of the chestnuts goes admirably with that of the pheasant.  The sauce produced is thick and rich and has whimsical hint of the marmalade.

Preparation Time: 15 Mins

Cooking Time: 1¾ Hrs

Total Time: 2 Hrs

Ingredients

For 3 servings…

1                    Pheasant  - oven-ready          

                     Pepper      

                     Salt          

1 tbs               Olive oil    

30 gms            Butter       

230 gms           Shallots     

230 gms           Chestnuts  - peeled   

30 gms            Flour        

10 cl                Wine  - red 

40 cl                Stock        

1                    Orange  - grated zest and juice of

2 tbs               Marmalade

Method

Heat an oven to 160°C.

Season the pheasant with salt and pepper.

Heat the oil and butter in casserole and fry the pheasant to brown it all over.  Remove it from the casserole and keep it warm.

Fry the shallots and chestnuts in the same fat until lightly browned, then stir in the flour and cook for a minute.  Gradually add the wine and stock and bring up to the boil - stirring frequently.  Add the orange rind and juice, marmalade and plenty of seasonings and heat to melt the marmalade.

Return the pheasant and cover tightly.  Cook in the oven for 1½ hours.

Serve the pheasant on a warm dish surrounded with the onions and chestnuts.  Strain the sauce and serve separately.

Serve With

          Game chips

          Watercress

Wine recommendations

          A Bordeaux-style wine

  Conventional

           Côtes de Bourg

  Interesting

           Bourgueil

           Chinon

           Irouleguy

           Saumur-Champigny