Roast pheasant, parsnip purée and Brussels sprouts

This recipe is for a compound dish that links the roast pheasant with the cooking of Brussels sprouts (which always go excellently with pheasant) and combines the pheasant with a lovely parsnip purée.  Overall, the combination produces a lovely winter game spread.

Preparation Time: 40 Mins

Cooking Time: 55 Mins

Total Time: 1½ Hrs

Ingredients

For 4 servings…

2                    Pheasants  

                     Pepper      

                     Salt          

20 gms            Butter  - melted       

8 rashers          Bacon  - streaky      

For the parsnip purée

500 gms          Parsnips  - peeled and sliced    

425 ml             Milk         

                     Salt          

1 pinch            Nutmeg     

100 gms          Crème fraîche          

For the sprouts

200 gms          Brussels sprouts  - halved       

20 gms            Butter       

1 tbs               Water       

8 rashers          Bacon  - taken from the roast pheasant and cut into strips     

                     Pepper      

                     Salt          

Method

Preheat an oven to 180°C.

Season the pheasants all over and coat with the melted butter.  Cover the breasts of the birds with the bacon.

Place the bird in a roasting dish and roast the pheasants for 40 minutes.

Remove the dish from the oven and leave the pheasants to rest, covered loosely with tin foil.

Meanwhile, to make the parsnip purée…

Put the parsnip dice into a saucepan and pour in just enough milk to cover.  Bring to a simmer and cook until the parsnip is very soft - about 10 minutes.

Transfer the cooked parsnip to a blender (keep the milk in the pan) and season with salt and a scrape or two of nutmeg.  Blend the parsnip, adding a spoonful or two of the cooking milk.  Add the crème fraîche and blend again.  Adjust the texture of the purée with the cooking milk if too thick.

To cook the sprouts…

Put the sprouts, cut-side down, in a frying pan with 15 gms of the butter and the water and cover with a lid.  Cook over a medium heat until they have turned golden brown on the cooked side and going soft - keep the sprouts moving to avoid them burning.  Add another splash of water if necessary.

Remove the bacon from the pheasants, cut it into strips and add it to the pan of sprouts, check the seasoning and stir in the remaining butter.

To serve, remove the legs and breasts from the pheasants and season them.  Put the parsnip purée on to four plates, spoon over the brussels sprouts, and top with a leg and breast for each person.  Spoon over any roasting juices from the roasting tin and serve.

Wine recommendations

A Bordeaux-style red.

Conventional

     Saint Émillion

Interesting

     Chinon

     Côtes de Bourg

     Irouleguy

     Saumur-Champigny