Butter Poached Pheasant Breast with Cabbage, Celeriac Puree and Roasted Baby Potatoes

The previous day, carefully cut the breasts off the pheasants, wrap in foil and put in fridge. Cut the two carcasses into pieces and use as the meat to make a stock  Recipe  . Having reduced the stock put it in the freezer until the following day, when you can use a spoon to scrape off and discard the fat. Put to one side.

Cut the pancetta into smallish cubes, trim the outer leaves off the cabbage and shred, clean and peel the mushrooms and cut into halves or quarters pending on size, and season the pheasant breasts all over with salt and fresh black pepper.

Prepare and start the roasted potatoes  Recipe  . Saute the pancetta cubes and put to one side. Saute the mushrooms in a little butter and season with fresh black pepper. Prepare a beurre manie with a teaspoonful each of butter and flour, rewarm the stock and make a gravy with the beurre manie and season with salt and pepper.

Prepare and start the celeriac puree  Recipe  .

Quickly brown the pheasant breasts on the skin side in a little oil. Heat up the butter and chicken stock in an ovenproof pan, add the breasts and cook in the oven at 350°F/180°C/Reg4 for twenty minutes.

Boil the cabbage for about ten minutes until cooked but not soggy, drain well, re-add to the saucepan and stir in the pancetta and mushrooms and a good tablespoonful of butter. Re-heat and season with a little salt. Re-warm the gravy.

Spoon some of the cabbage mixture on to serving plates, put a breast on top, add some roasted potatoes, spoon some gravy and celeriac puree on either side of the plate and serve  Zoom  .