Pheasant and Venison sausage casserole

• Pheasant
• 8oz venison sausages
• Butter
• A couple of chopped shallots
• 6oz thick strips of bacon
• 6oz button mushrooms
• Couple of glasses of red wine
• Cup of good rich stock
• Bouquet Garni

Brown the pheasant, whole or in quarters in some butter. Remove the pheasant and add the sausages and bacon and brown. Remove the sausages and onion and return the pheasant to the pan with the herb, wine and the stock. Cover the pan and gently simmer for 30-40 minutes. Add the sausages cover and cook for another 7 minutes. Remove the pheasant and carve if whole. Discard the bouquet garni and season the sauce with salt and pepper, thicken if required with butter or cornflour. Pour the sauce and sausages over the pheasant.

 

Pheasant in Cider

• A brace of pheasants
• 2oz butter
• 2 tbsp oil
• Onion, chopped small
• 4 apples, cox's are nice
• 1/2 pint of dry cider
• 1/2 pint double cream
• Seasoning

Heat the butter and the oil in a casserole and brown the seasoned birds, either whole or in quarters. Add the onions and let them soften then add the peeled, cored and sliced apples. Add the cider, cover the casserole and turn the heat down very low for about an hour. Check and turn the birds half way through. When the birds are cooked remove them and reduce the liquid, onions and apples. Gently stir in the cream, season with salt and pepper, heat and pour over the pheasants. Looks great garnished with chopped parsley and some lightly fried apple slices.

 

Partridge with black olives

• 3 plump partridges
• 2oz butter
• 4-6oz bacon rashers
• 3 shallots (finely chopped)
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp tomato puree
• 1/2 pint well flavored stock
• 2 wineglasses red wine
• salt and pepper
• bouquet garni
• 3oz black olives

Brown the birds slowly and carefully all over in the butter. Cut the bacon into strips, blanch and drain. Add these to the pan with the shallots and continue to fry gently for 3-4 minutes, then remove the birds, stir in the flour and add the tomato puree and the stock. Reduce the wine by about one third in a small saucepan and then add this to the casserole. Bring to the boil, season, add the bouquet garni and replace the partridges. Cover with a piece of foil and then the lid. Cook for 50-6- minutes in the oven pre set at 325-350f or gas mark 3-4, or until tender. Take the partridges out, remove trussing strings, split in half and trim away some backbone. Arrange on a dish, boil the sauce rapidly for 2-3 minutes, or until syrupy, then add the olives. Reboil the sauce and spoon over the dish.