roast pheasant in port sauce
SERVES: 4
2 female (hen) pheasants - have your butcher prepare them ready for the oven.
vegetable oil
2 ounces butter, room temperature
8 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
6 rashers of bacon (choose pieces with a generous amount of fat)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3/4 cup of good chicken stock
1 tablespoon of redcurrant jelly
3 - 4 tablespoons of port
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat your oven to 450F.
Line a large roasting pan with foil. Use a generous amount as it will need to fold over the cooking birds later.
Use a pastry brush and grease the foil with the vegetable oil.
Rinse the pheasant under cold running water. Pat thoroughly dry inside and out with sturdy kitchen towel, making sure andy loose fat or skin comes away.
Using clean hands, take one bird and ease your fingers under the skin over the breast. Spread the 2 tablespoons of the butter over the breast. Use you fingers or a flat knife.
Tie the legs together using kitchen string.
Place 1/2 the thyme and one bay leaf on the breast and lay the bacon rashers over the top.
Repeat with the remaining bird.
Place both birds on the baking tray and season with the salt and pepper.
Bring the foil flaps together and seal.
Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375F and cook for another 40 minutes.
Take off the foil and roast for 10 minutes or so to give the birds some color.
Run a skewer into the thigh of each bird to check if the juices run clear.
At these temperatures, small birds like this should be well and truly cooked after an hour. You could check them earlier if you wish - there's nothing worse then over cooked, tough meat.
Transfer the birds to a clean plate, cover with foil and leave to rest for at least 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the port sauce. You can either pour the roasting juices into a saucepan, or just carefully remove the foil from the roasting pan allowing the liquid to drain down into the pan.
Dust the flour over the liquid and stir well to avoid lumps. Place over a medium heat, stirring all the while. Add the stock and the jelly and bring to the boil.
Simmer until it thickens. Stir in the port and taste to see if more salt and pepper is needed.
You could add a few knobs of unsalted butter at this stage for extra gloss and lucsiousness, but only if your heart can survive it.
Strain the sauce and serve warm with your carved pheasants.
