Pheasant Casserole

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Medium

Preparation time: 15 mins

Cooking Time: 1 hour and 5 mins

• 2 pheasants110g (4oz) unsmoked bacon, cut into 3 or 4 pieces
• 25g (1oz) butter or oil
• 225g (8oz) shallots
• 25g (1oz) flour
• 570ml (1 pint) good stock or chicken stock cube
• 2 tsps redcurrant jelly
• 100ml (4fl oz) white wine
• Bouquet garni
• 8 whole field mushrooms
• Salt & pepper
• Chopped parsley

Melt butter or oil in a large pan and brown the pheasants all over. Remove. Sauté the shallots and bacon. Remove from the pan. Add enough flour to the pan to take up the remaining juices. Mix well.

Add the stock, season and bring to the boil to thicken.

Return the pheasant to the pan. Add the shallots and bacon and cover. Cook in the oven at 160C/375F/Gas 5 for approx 1 hour or until the juices run clear. Add the mushrooms about 10 minutes before the end of cooking.