Pheasant with red wine and redcurrants casserole

Here’s the recipe I created:

2 oven-ready pheasants (if they come fully dressed and you can’t do this, ask your butcher or game supplier or visit River Cottage)

I red onion, chopped

3 or 4 ripe red plums, halved and stoned

6 or 8 carrots, peeled and chopped

6 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped

I large field mushroom (or handful of small mushrooms – just make sure they are tasty ones), chopped

1lb red or black currants

1 tin of chopped tomatoes

juice of half a lemon

2 oz butter and dash of olive oil

I bottle red wine

Method

Turn on the oven at low heat

Melt the butter in a large frying pan and saute the pheasants on all sides until they are sealed and golden brown.

Remove pheasants and put to one side and place in an ovenproof casserole dish (with a lid), one that is able to take the birds comfortably.

Add the olive oil to the frying pan and saute the onion, mushrooms, garlic until soft and then add the halved plums. Reduce the heat and just let the plums soften into the vegetables. Add a little butter or more oil if necessary to stop them burning

Stir in the chopped tomatoes and carrots, remove from the heat, and add it all to the pheasants’ dish, taking the birds out first if necessary (depending on the size of the casserole you are using), then cover completely with the wine.

Puree the red/blackcurrants and add to the top, stirring to combine.
Note – if you are getting them out of the freezer, the melted juice will be enough to give the right flavour. If you haven’t the means to puree the currantss, mash them thoroughly.

Pop it in the oven with the lid on (best put it on a tray if it is close to the top, avoids making the inside of your oven dirty) and bake at a low heat until the carrots are soft – about an hour/hour and a half.

Serve with boiled potaotes, and green veg such as green beans or peas (if you want to)

YUM YUM