Roast Pheasant Breast
Roast Pheasant Breast
braised thigh, sweet & sour apricots, parsnip purée, gingerbread
Roman Camp, Stirlingshire
2 whole pheasants
100g butter
2 garlic cloves
2 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs rosemary
50g each of carrot, onion, leek and celery, finely diced
4 button mushrooms
100ml white wine
100ml madeira
300ml chicken stock
100ml veal stock
Parsnip purée
7 parsnips, thinly sliced
100ml chicken stock
100ml double cream
Sweet & sour apricots
75g apricots
50g sugar
250g white balsamic vinegar
100g mirin
40g aperol
15g pickled ginger
6g salt
100g gingerbread
Serves 4
Dry out 8 of the parsnip strips in a warm place for a couple of hours.
Remove the breasts and thighs from the pheasants.
Cut off the legs, chop each into two pieces and brown until nicely coloured in a little hot oil.
Add the vegetables and mushrooms and sauté for another 5 minutes.
Add the madeira and white wine and bring to the boil.
Add 200ml of water, the chicken and veal stocks and bring back to the boil.
Add the thighs and a sprig each of thyme and rosemary and cover with foil. Braise in the oven at 140˚C for 1 hour.
Remove the thighs and pass the stock through muslin into a clean pan.
Reduce to a sauce consistency and season.
Break the gingerbread into small pieces and bake at 160˚C until dried out.
Cool and crumble.
Deep fry at 160˚C until golden, seasoning while hot.
Cook the rest of the parsnip in 100ml of water and the chicken stock until soft.
Pour in the cream and reduce for a few minutes to a purée.
Season, blend, and sieve.
For the sweet and sour apricots, bring everything except the fruit to the boil together.
Add the apricots and simmer for 20 minutes, then remove from the heat to cool.
Warm the thighs, purée and sauce.
Heat a little oil and fry the breasts skin side down until golden brown.
Add the butter, garlic and remaining herbs and roast in the oven for 4-5 minutes at 180˚C.
Remove and rest for 5-6 minutes before serving.