A Happy New Year to everyone, from Domaine La Véronique!

Christmas is over, we’re in to 2013 and the cold weather has arrived. It is sunny here today, but the wind is whistling with that feel of snow off the mountains. We can’t complain though as only a week ago we were sitting out on the terrace having aperitifs before lunch The sun is forecast for the next week so we might manage it again if the wind dies down!! Just before Christmas, we were sitting outside, this time having a cup of tea and some homemade gingerbread, when suddenly a pheasant dropped from the sky!... literally dropped… and fell in to one of the fig trees! (No we don’t have any pear trees I’m afraid and it was a pheasant not a partridge!!). Obviously there was something wrong, so Caline, our dog, went to investigate, neatly bringing the pheasant to Peter’s feet and dropping it. She was very pleased with herself. Sadly she hadn’t quite finished the pheasant off, so Peter had to do the duties!! Peter decided to hang the bird for a couple of days, and then he plucked it etc. finding that it had in fact been shot. Strangely we hadn’t heard gunfire when the bird plummeted from the sky, but as it’s hunting season here in the Languedoc we presumed that's what had happened. So all that was then needed was for Peter to do his gourmet magic and to cook the pheasant! It was delicious, so maybe we'll add the recipe to the cooking school menus!! Anyway, we thought you might like the recipe just in case a pheasant suddenly falls at your feet!!

Ingredients

1 pheasant – plucked and drawn!

1 large red onion – finely sliced

1 carrot – diced

1 stick of celery - diced

100g finely diced smoked bacon

100g button mushrooms – quartered

50g unsalted butter

Large sprig of thyme

1 bay leaf

Salt and black pepper

200ml oz Red Wine

150fl concentrated chicken or game stock

Method

1) Heat the butter in a casserole dish and brown the pheasant on both sides

2) Season with salt and pepper

3) Remove the bird from the casserole and set to one side, placing a sprig of thyme and bay leaf in the cavity of the bird

4) Sauté bacon in the casserole until brown

5) Add onions, carrot, celery, and sauté for two minutes

6) Add red wine and reduce by a third

7) Add stock and reduce by a third

8) Place the pheasant back in to the casserole, cover with tin foil and a lid, and cook in the oven preheated at 170°. Baste with the juices every 10 minutes. It should take a 45 minutes to cook, but check by pricking the thigh of the pheasant with a fork. The juices should run clear.

9) Remove the pheasant from the casserole and place on a carving board. Cover with foil and allow to sit whilst you finish the sauce.

10) Add a dessertspoon of redcurrant jelly to the casserole and reduce sauce to a pouring consistency.

11) Adjust seasoning.

12) Carve the pheasant, and serve, dressing with the sauce and a small piece of thyme. Serve with fried matchstick potatoes and a green vegetable such as broccoli. 

ENJOY!