(cont)

350f/180c/gas4 (yes… the breasts are poached in the cling film wrapping!).

When the pheasant breasts are cooked remove from the roasting tin, remove the cling film and the bacon. In a frying pan melt the butter with a teaspoon of cooking oil; this will prevent the butter from burning. Lightly brown the pheasant on all sides remove from the pan and place to one side covered with a little foil. Add to the pan the chopped onion together with the finely diced carrot, garlic and diced remaining bacon and cook slowly until soft and browned. Add the tomato puree and the flour and blend in thoroughly.

Pour the cooking juices from the roasting tin into the sauce and return to the heat adding slowly to prevent going lumpy. Pass the sauce through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan and return to a low heat, if the sauce is too thick add a little more chicken stock or if too thin add a little more thickening. Finally add the Madeira and a knob of butter. The roast vegetables can be prepared whilst the pheasant breasts are cooking. Wash and peel the parsnips, carrots and turnip and cut into roughly 2cm dice. Peel the onions, dipping them in boiling water for 10 or so seconds makes this task easier. Wash & cut the fennel by trimming the top and cut into eight segments maintaining a small piece of root to keep intact. Wash the celery sticks and cut into 2cm pieces. Put the prepared vegetables in a roasting pan and baste with the dripping, roast in the same oven as the pheasant for around 25 minutes shaking the pan occasionally and turning over the vegetables.

When the vegetables are tender, put the roasting pan over direct heat and add the honey and shake the pan until the vegetables are nicely browned all over. The parsnips will brown very quickly because of their high sugar content.  Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper and finish with the chopped parsley. To assemble the dish divide the roast vegetables into four warmed serving dishes to form a bed for each pheasant breast. Place the pheasant on top and surround by the sauce. Garnish with rosemary sprigs and red currants or as desired. A scrumptious and tasty autumn dish excellent served with a bowl of light fluffy apple & potato mash.

Enjoy good eating!