Roast Pheasant Vallée d'Auge

Dry and season the pheasants all over with salt and pepper. Put in an ovenproof dish, pour over a couple of glasses of white wine (note you could use cider, but I think it makes the sauce too sweet), and cover with foil. Core the apples, put in an ovenproof dish, sprinkle over a little olive oil, and cover with foil  Picture  . Prepare the Salsify and Carrots ready for the oven as described in the recipe.

Put the apples in the woodburning oven at the back, followed by the pheasants and then by the Salsify and Carrots. Meanwhile prepare the sprouting brocolli and put in a steamer ready to go. After fifteen minutes, take the foil off the pheasants, turn the Salsify and Carrots and start steaming the sprouting broccoli.

Cook the pheasants for a further ten minutes uncovered checking that they do not overcook. Turn the pheasants over, cook for a further ten minutes and then check with a carving fork that they are done but still a little pink otherwise cook for a few minutes more. If the Salsify and Carrots are done, cover and keep warm.

As soon as the pheasants are ready, cut the sides (breast, leg and wing) off, put in a separate dish and keep warm. Pour a small glass of Calvados into the pheasant cooking dish, put back in the oven and flame.

Take the cooked apples  Picture  , discard the skin and mash the apple flesh, put initially a good tablespoonful of apple into the pheasant cooking dish over a medium heat and stir well. Stir in single cream until you have a good sauce, and season well with salt and pepper. Add more cream or apple until you get the quantity and taste you want.

Put some Salsify and Carrots on to serving plates along with some broccoli, put half a pheasant on top, spoon over a little sauce and serve  Zoom  .