Pheasant with juniper berries, yoghurt and cream

The sauce for this braised pheasant dish has yoghurt and cream which makes it light and which goes very well with the redcurrant jelly and juniper berries.  Overall there is a beautiful balance of flavours.

Preparation Time: 15 Mins

Cooking Time: 65 Mins

Total Time: 80 Mins

Ingredients

For 4 servings…

60 gms            Butter       

1 tbs               Olive oil    

1                    Pheasant   

1                    Onion  - sliced        

1                    Carrot  - sliced        

1 stick             Celery  - sliced        

8                    Juniper berries  - bruised        

1                    Bay leaf     

10 cl               Stock  - chicken or pheasant    

                      Pepper      

                      Salt          

2 tsp               Redcurrant jelly       

10 cl               Yoghurt  - natural     

10 cl               Cream  - double      

2 tsp               Cornflour   

Method

Melt the butter with the oil in a casserole, which will just hold the pheasant, and brown the bird all over.  It will take about 15 minutes.  Remove the pheasant and gently fry the vegetables until light brown.  Return the pheasant to the pan, add the juniper berries, bay leaf, stock and seasoning, cover and simmer very gently for 40 minutes or until the pheasant is just done.  Remove it and keep it warm.

Boil down the juices until reduced to ½ pint, remove the juniper berries and bay leaf and dissolve the redcurrant jelly in the sauce.  Mix the yoghurt, cream and cornflour in a food processor, add all the contents of the casserole, process until smooth and strain back into the pan.  Bring back to the boil and simmer gently for several minutes.  Check the seasoning.

When ready to serve, joint the pheasant, pour the sauce over it and serve.

Wine recommendations

A red Bordeaux-style wine is best.

Conventional

     Saint Émillion

Interesting

     Chinon

     Irouleguy

     Saumur-Champigny