The Game Chef: A forkful of sunshine

In this article from the spring 2022 issue of My Countryside magazine, The Game Chef shares his favourite recipes that bring comforting flavours with a continental flair.

Funny old time of year, spring. You can never quite trust it. There you are, waking up, sheathes of golden light streaming through the windows, not a cloud in the sky and all the colour back in the hedgerows. You open the window and fling your head outside, inhaling deeply and whispering knowingly through your sigh, "Ahhh… my dear old friend, how very fine to see you again" before declaring in unwavering certainty whilst spreading the marmalade, "just how marvellous it is that spring has indeed finally sprung… don't you agree?"

But then out you step, you fool, drunk on the joys of the proverbial, dressed for all the world as if it were high summer. Pah! It doesn't last long. The poor door has barely settled on its hinges before the rude retreat, only to see you return once more, red faced and knee-deep in knitwear. Two weeks later you're snowed in and cursing yourself for putting the agapanthus back out.

Or so it was last year, when we finally waved goodbye to our last frost on Exmoor sometime in early June. It was bad news all round really, with so much new growth following the initial promise of warmth succumbing to the late frost's cold nights. Less obvious, but equally damaged, were the life and breeding cycles of the fauna, with bees, birds and butterflies in particular suffering the effects. Such seems to be the somewhat confused beginnings of a new world (dis)order of the seasons, with climate change no longer a threat but a liveable reality.

But enough negativity, food is what we are about here and I propose to accentuate the first warmth of the year with dishes that are the best of both worlds. Foods which are both hot and comforting to eat, but at the same time flood the plate with continental sunshine at every forkful.

The same can be said for the pheasant cannelloni, the deep game ragu being one of the most comforting yet sunshine-evoking foods there is. This is food to bring a smile to your face and a warmth to your heart – just don't get any crazy ideas about dining al fresco… without that chunky knitwear, that is.

PHEASANT RAGU CANNELLONI - Serves 4

I always make fresh pasta for my cannelloni and lasagne, the faff is minimal, the technique is simple, but the effect is transformative. I would urge you to try it, but should you have better things to do, ready-made will suffice, I suppose. The ragu is incredible simply turned around some fresh pappardelle, but the tomato and basil of the cannelloni brings the sunshine in. I know it seems long winded, but if you make the various components separately, perhaps over a couple of days, it is just a matter of construction in the end.

For the pasta:

• 400g Type 00 pasta flour
• 2 whole eggs
• 4 egg yolks
• 4-5 tbsp water

For the ragu:

• 100g butter
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 100g pancetta, diced
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• Pinch of dried chilli flakes
• 2 celery stalks, finely diced
• ½ fennel bulb, finely diced
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 2 pheasants, jointed on the bone
• 100ml white wine
• 500ml chicken stock
• Salt and pepper
• 100g freshly grated parmesan
• Handful of chopped parsley
• Zest of one lemon

For the tomato sauce:

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 2 tins of chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar

For the béchamel:

• 500ml milk
• 50g butter
• 50g plain flour
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 sprig of rosemary

To finish:

• 2 balls of buffalo mozzarella
• 100g freshly grated parmesan
• 1 handful of fresh basil leaves
• Salt and pepper

Method:

1. First get the ragu on the go – heat the oven to 150°C.
2. Season the pheasant with some salt and pepper.
3. In a heavy casserole pan, brown the meat in the oil on a medium/high heat. Remove and set aside.
4. Reduce the heat, gently fry the pancetta in the butter and remaining fat for 3-4 minutes, then add the fennel seeds and chilli flakes, fry for 1 minute more.
5. Add the diced vegetables and garlic and turn the heat down to low, adding a pinch of salt to draw out the moisture.
6. After 10-15 minutes, when the veg is completely soft, place the meat back in and add the white wine, allow to come to a simmer and add enough stock to cover.
7. Cover loosely and place in the oven for 2-3 hours, until the meat is falling apart and the liquid has reduced by half.
8. Remove the pheasant joints and allow to cool a little, then remove the meat from the bones, roughly breaking it up and returning it to the cooking liquid.
9. Add the grated parmesan, lemon zest and parsley, season to taste with black pepper and salt, then stir well into a thick sludge. Set aside to cool.
10. To make the pasta, simply put the flour in a large bowl, make a well in the centre and add the eggs, egg yolks and 2 tbsp water.
11. Bring together with one hand to form a soft dough; if it is too dry, you may need the extra water, it depends on the flour.
12. Knead the dough well, until it is smooth and elastic – about 10 minutes should do it – then wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
13. For the tomato sauce, fry the onions in the oil until soft and translucent, about 10-15 minutes over a low heat. Add the garlic and continue frying for 1 minute.
14. Add the salt and sugar, then allow to simmer over a low heat for 25 minutes, stirring every now and then. Set aside.
15. For the béchamel, melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, then stir in the flour, using a whisk.
16. Allow to cook for 1 minute, then gradually add the milk, stirring all the while, until you have a thick white sauce.
17. Add the bay leaf and rosemary and cook for a further 2 minutes, then set aside to infuse for 20 minutes or so.
18. For the final construction, first choose your oven dish – about 12 x 8 inch would do nicely.
19. Spoon half of the tomato sauce into your dish and spread about evenly.
20. Cut a 1 x 4 inch slice from your pasta dough, and roll out, on a well-floured surface, into a rectangle as thinly as possible.
21. Starting at one end, place a good dollop of the ragu mixture along the width of the pasta sheet, then roll over to cover. Cut and repeat this process until you reach the end of your rectangle.
22. Place the cannelloni into the dish atop the tomato sauce and repeat this process until your dish is full, or all the mixture is used.
23. Top the cannelloni with the remaining tomato sauce, spreading to cover.
24. Remove the herbs from the béchamel sauce and pour the whole lot on top, and then top this with roughly torn mozzarella and basil.
25. Finish with the grated parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of black pepper and salt.
26. Sprinkle 4 tbsp of water over the top and then bake in an oven heated to 200°C for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown and crisp atop.

PHEASANT PAELLA - Serves 4

This is my go-to simple outdoor picnic lunc cooked over a wood fire with plenty of cold white wine and merriment. It also has the added bonus, of course, of requiring just the one pot, meaning no cumbersome BBQ is required. Simply attach your paella pan to your ingredient packed rucksack and find a suitably wild and beautiful location. All you need do is light a campfire – and cook.

• 1lt reduced game or chicken stock
• 2 pheasants, jointed on the bone
• 4 chorizo cooking sausages
• 300g paella rice
• 100g diced pancetta
• 2 tbsp fennel seeds
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 fennel bulb, diced
• 1 large white onion, diced
• 2 celery sticks, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 pinch of saffron
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• 200g cooked and peeled cold water prawns
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For the saffron aioli:

• 100ml shop-bought mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pinch of saffron
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon

Method:

1. For the saffron aioli, mix the saffron with the garlic, lemon juice and zest and leave for 10 minutes, then whisk into the mayonnaise and finally whisk in the olive oil, then season with a pinch of salt.
2. In a large paella pan, or similarly large and heavy-bottomed pan, heat the oil over a medium heat.
3. Season the pheasant and brown well all over, remove from the pan then set aside.
4. Add the pancetta, carrot, fennel, onion, celery, fennel seeds and olive oil to the pan, along with a pinch of salt and pepper.
5. Turn down the heat and cook gently over a low heat for 15 minutes until softened, but not coloured.
6. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute, then add the red pepper, rice, saffron and prawns.
7. Stir well, then add the stock and turn up the heat to bring to the boil.
8. Place the pheasant joints back in the pan, along with the chorizo sausages, pushing them down into the rice.
9. If cooking inside, place in the oven at 200°C for 20 minutes, or if over fire, simmer gently for 20 minutes, with a loose-fitting lid or tin foil, until all the stock has been absorbed and the rice iscooked. If it is not quite there, simply add a little water and continue the cooking.
10. Serve with a good dollop of saffron mayonnaise alongside.
11. I like to serve this with a simple salad of sliced fennel, apple and watercress, with a honey, cider vinegar and mustard dressing – some crusty bread wouldn't go amiss too.

Image: Glenn Dearing