Posts tagged pancetta

Pheasant, braised lentils, parsnip puree

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Pheasant, braised lentils, parsnip puree

T

his recipe opitimises Autumn and seasonal eating. I’m in dangerous territory of sounding like we make a regular event of it, but my more manly other half spent last weekend trekking the Wiltshire countryside surrounded by more tweed than the Queen’s wardrobe and enough flatcaps to make Prince Philip smile. Long story short, if you can’t invisage this little gathering, he went on a shoot day and…you guessed it… brought home some pheasants!

This time of year is a great time to start indulging in warming comfort food and eating what the seasons dictate. I heard pheasant, my stomach thought, bacon, parsnips, chestnuts and all things festive.

S

o out came the trusty Le Creuset for what might be, its last outing in this Putney kitchen. As you’ve probably not noticed, I’ve not been as active as I have been this past year. Having spent the past year arranging our membership into the first time buyers club, we are finally nearly there. Touching distance. Packing distance. But just enough time for one more roast before my faithful kitchen that has served me so well these past years in London, gets packed away and upgraded to a new humble abode. 

WINE: We were feeling a little like we’d overindulged in the alcohol that night, but this would have been lovely with a Pinot Noir.

Serves 2

  • 1 whole pheasant, gutted and plucked
  • 1 red onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 4 rashes or smoked, streak bacon OR 1 small pun net lardons
  • 1 bunch thyme, leaves picked
  • Handful of dried mixed mushrooms
  • 1 glass dry white wine
  • 500ml chicken stock
  • 4oz Puy lentils
  • 2 parsnips
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 200ml milk
  • Beurre manie – 1 knob of butter, mashed into a paste with 1 tsp flour. Use at the end for thickening the sauce without creating lumps. The butter will also add a gloss.
  • Steamed greens – kale, savoy cabbage etc (opional)
  1. Start by preheating the oven to 200. In a large heavy based casserole dish, heat a knob of butter and some oil. Season the pheasant and then brown the whole bird on all sides until its looking golden and the skin is crisping. Remove to a plate and set aside.
  2. Turn to heat down to a medium level and add the chopped onion and fry quickly until beginning to soften.
  3. Add the bacon/lardons and cook for a few minutes.
  4. Finally, add the garlic and thyme and cook gently for just a few more minutes.
  5. Turn up the heat, add the wine to deglaze the pan. Gentle simmer to reduce the alcohol.
  6. Add the pheasant back to the pan, chuck in the dried mushrooms and then add a good 200ml or so of the hot chicken stock.
  7. Place in the oven for 50minutes or so until cooked through. Baste a few times during cooking. 
  8. When the bird has been in for about 30 minutes, start on the lentils. Simmer in the remaining chicken stock for about 18 minutes until just tender but with a definite crunch.
  9. Once the pheasant has cooked, remove onto a plate to rest. Pop the casserole dish back onto the hob and simmer the juices and roasted ingredients. Add the lentil (liquid and all) and simmer to combine. Simmer until reduced. Then add the beurre manie and cook out until beginning to thicken and turn glossy.
  10. Serve with steamed greens like kale or savoy cabbage

Parsnip Puree

  1. Peel and roughly chop the parsnips.
  2. Add to a saucepan with about 200ml milk and then top up with water until covered.
  3. Add a few whole peppercorns from your grinder if you can OR a good pinch of cracked black pepper.
  4. Add the bay leaf
  5. Simmer (watching as the milk has a tendency to over boil) for about 10 minutes or until they are very tender but not waterlogged. 
  6. Once the pheasant is at its resting stage, you’re ready to make the puree.
  7. Remove the parsnips from the liquid which you need to reserve.
  8. Add to a processor with seasoning, a good splash of reserved milk and a knob of butter. Blend to get the desired consistency adding more milk if needed (You can also use a masher).

    Pumpkin, Pancetta and Sage Risotto with a poached egg

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    Pumpkin, Pancetta and Sage Risotto with a poached egg

    This seasons allotment pumpkin harvest certainly and surprisingly earnt its keep this year which is my excuse for the popular pumpkin theme these last few weeks. As ten chubby, overfed pumpkins sat apprehensively on the wall outside my backdoor, I had originally thought them unsuitable for eating, I had already devised a family tree of characters to make my own set of halloween faces! However, as I cut into their dense, creamy flesh, I realised they were much too good to waste.

    So I knocked up a vat of oozing, cheesey, creamy and vibrantly orange halloween-themed risotto. Topped with a poached egg, or as pictured, a cool quinelle of mascarpone, it went down a treat. I roasted my pumpkin to get the most from its flavours with a little added crushed coriander seed to give you a crackle of surprise in every other mouthful.

    Serves 4

    • 1 small pumpkin/butternut squash
    • 1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed in a pestle and mortar
    • 3 garlic cloves, left in their skins
    • Olive oil
    • 200g risotto rice
    • Hot chicken or vegetable stock (about 1 pint)
    • 1 glass dry white wine
    • 1 onion, chopped
    • Few sprigs thyme
    • 25g butter
    • Parmesan, grated
    • Handful of sage leaves
    • 150g pancetta or smoked bacon
    • 1 egg/Mascarpone to serve
    1. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Cut the pumpkin in halve and scoop out the seeds and reserve (you can fry these in oil). Cut into small quarters or large chunks and drizzle with oil, scatter with salt and pepper and the coriander seeds. I chucked in a few garlic cloves in their skins here too, as I never miss this opportunity as they go all sweet and sticky.
    2. Roast for about 40-50 minutes until the flesh is soft and scoopable. Use a spoon to scoop the flesh out into a food processor or a large bowl and throw the skins away. Squeeze the sugary garlic from their skins and add to the pumpkin. Mash in a processor with a splash of hot stock to loosen or with a masher in a bowl. Set aside to keep warm.image
    3. Meanwhile or afterwards, begin the risotto base. Melt the butter with a splash of oil in a large pan over a medium low heat. Soften the onion until translucent and then add the thyme leaves and season.
    4. Add the rice and stir until beginning to turn translucent and it is hot to touch. Add the wine and simmer until absorbed.
    5. Now turn the heat down so that it gently simmers and add ladlefuls of your hot stock to the rice, adding another once each had been absorbed. Don’t let it dry out however. (For tips on the perfect risotto see here) The whole process should take about 15-18 minutes with continual stirring.
    6. Meanwhile, heat a hot frying pan and cook the pancetta or bacon until crisp. Add the sage leaves at the end for a minute until crisp then set aside.
    7. After about 15 minutes, test the risotto. The rice should be nearly done or a little al dente.
    8. Now stir in most of the pumpkin puree. It will thicken considerably so add more stock to get a oozy, loose and molten texture.
    9. Stir in the pancetta and sage and season to taste.
    10. Once the consistency is loose enough and the rice is cooked, take off the heat. Add the parmesan and a squeeze of lemon and cover with a lid and let it sit for a minute or so to rest. Then stir together when the cheese has melted.
    11. Spoon into shallow bowls and top with extra sage, and if wanted, a spoonful of creamy mascarpone or a ‘runny-in-the-middle’ poached egg!

    This recipe is also lovely with walnuts or chestnuts for added crunchy texture!