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Mark Leatham, Chairman of Leathams and Founder of Merchant Gourmet, shares his favourite tips for cooking and eating in December...
The last of the burnished copper autumn leaves have all but fallen from the oak trees in our woodlands, which are the home of the ubiquitous pheasant, a bird that everyone should try, rather than miss out as a result of a pre-conception that they do not like game. They are now at their most plump and the flesh is at its best. So often these delicious birds are not cooked correctly and the meat is overcooked and dry. Follow these tips and you should not be disappointed!
The key to cooking these birds is to ensure the meat is kept moist by keeping the bird on its breast in the roasting tin for all but the last 10 minutes of the cooking time, and by putting a generous amount of water in the tray at the start (which makes a fabulous gravy). For the very best results, lightly brown the bird in a pan before cooking in a hot oven (200 degrees C). Roast the smaller hen birds (approx. 750g) for 35-40 minutes and the larger cocks (approx. 900g) for 45-50 minutes.
As with all roast meats, it is important to leave the bird to stand for at least 10 minutes before carving to ensure the best texture to the meat. A hot plate and hot gravy will ensure the meat stays warm on the plate. The best accompaniments to this dish are a good bread sauce and some roasted chestnuts served either with Brussels sprouts, finely shredded Savoy cabbage, or on their own.
The key to a good bread sauce is to use good white bread (avoid cheap sliced bread) that has been left for at least four or five days as a whole loaf before being made into breadcrumbs. Fresh bread means gluey bread sauce! Peel your onion, cut in half and insert 4-8 cloves, according to how many you are making the sauce for (I always make more than I need and freeze what is not used). Use plenty of milk to cover the onion and slowly poach for at least one hour to infuse the milk (Watch it does not boil over; I cook mine in a casserole in the bottom of the aga). Remove the onion, then remove the cloves and the tough first layer of the onion, dice up the onion and add back to the milk. Add sufficient breadcrumbs to create a thick sauce and cook slowly for a further 10 minutes, adding cream and white pepper to finish. If it becomes too stiff, add some milk or water to bring back to the right consistency.
As for the chestnuts, use our ready to use peeled chestnuts. For best results, just very gently warm in a pan with butter.
