Pot roast pheasant recipe - cooking apples

Method

• Season the trussed pheasant and seal it in a hot pan with oil, turning the bird so that there is an even seal all over and it colours well
• Peel, sore and slice the apples.
• Taking a deep cooking dish with a lid, place half of the apples on the base of the dish, place the sealed pheasant on the apples and cover with the remaining apples.
• Add four or five sage leaves and then add the cider and bring to the boil
• Place the lid on the dish and put into a hot over at 200C for ten minutes.
• Turn the oven down to 180C and cook for a further 25 minutes.
• Once cooked remove the pheasant and drain all the cooking juices back into the cooking pot and allow to stand and rest for five minutes, meanwhile add the cream to the apples and cooking juices, then liquidize this to a fine puree
• If the sauce is too thick add a little chicken stock to thin it down if required.
• Also taste and if you find it too sharp, a little sugar can take the edge off the cooking apples, again if required.
• Take the pheasant, remove the trussing string and remove the legs.
• Cut the legs in half so that you have drumstick and thigh.
• Retain the thighs and discard the drumsticks as they have too many sinews.
• Remove the breasts from the carcass, serve a breast and thigh together as a portion
• Warm the sauce but do not boil