Friday, November 28, 2014

Braised pheasant

Braised pheasant

Ingredients

1 pheasant for two people
1 onion peeled and chopped
1 stick celery, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 large bottle dry cider
2 large or three medium Cox's apples, cored (no need to peel) and chopped into 1 1/2 cm pieces.
olive oil
2 bay leaves
parsley
thyme
large know of butter
Heaped tablespoon flour

A metal casserole that can be used on the stove

Recipe

Heat some olive oil in the casserole and brown the pheasant on all sides. Remove and set aside.
Add the chopped onions, fry for 5 minutes.
Add celery and carrot. Fry for a further 5 minutes.
Replace the pheasant, breast up.
Pour over sufficient cider to cover about 2/3 of the pheasant.
Add bay leaves, parsley, thyme, plenty of freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste.
Bring to the boil, cover with lid and place in the oven at 140°C.
After 1 hour, add the apples.
After a further 1/2 hour, remove from oven, remove pheasant and place a carving dish with the apples and vegetables.
Heat the casserole and boil vigorously to reduce liquid by about 1/3.
Melt butter in a saucepan and add flour. Heat for a few minutes to cook flour. Add the liquid from the casserole whisk vigorously to obtain a smooth sauce. Taste and add salt and pepper if required.
Carve the pheasant. Serve with the apples, the vegetables and the sauce accompanied by a green vegetable and boiled potatoes.

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Spiced duck breast

Chinese spiced duck breasts

Ingredients

4 duck breasts
Chinese 5 spices*
plain flour
white vermouth

Set the oven to 200°C.
Pat the duck breasts dry with some paper towelling.
Cover both sides with the ground spices and sprinkle salt sparingly.
Place in oven in a roasting tin for 20 minutes.
Remove breasts and set aside.
Place roasting tin on stove and add heaped tablespoon flour. Scrape round with a wooden spoon to incorporate any bits in the tin. Add wine glass of white vermouth; let the alcohol boil off. Add sufficient chicken stock to make a sauce. Adjust seasoning.
Carve the duck into 1 cm thick slices.
Serve on a bed of rice accompanied by the sauce and a green vegetable of choice.

Note:
Chinese 5 spices. 

Grind together:
1 teaspoon cloves
I heaped teaspoon fennel seeds
4 cm cinnamon bark
1 teaspoon dry roasted Szechuan peppers
2 star anise

The time of roasting depends on how you like your duck meat (well done to pink) and the thickness of the breasts. I usually check the temperature with a meat thermometer.