Pheasant Breasts with Leg, Thigh, and Wing Croquetas, and Vegetables

Preferably the day before take one of the pheasants, joint it and make a game stock  Recipe   using the pheasant pieces instead of the game scraps.

On the day of serving joint the remaining two pheasants into breasts  Picture   and leg/thighs and wings  Picture  . Season the leg/thighs and wings with salt and pepper, put into an oven proof dish and cook in the oven at 325°F/170°C/Reg3 for half an hour turning once half way through. Allow to cool and then cut into small pieces discarding bones skin and small little needle like bones from the legs  Picture  .

Make the croquetas by firstly making a thick béchamel sauce using three level tablespoonfuls each of butter and flour and 1pint/250 ml of full fat milk seasoning with salt and pepper. Stir in the pheasant pieces well and put in the fridge for an hour or so.

Use a mixer of similar to make breadcrumbs from the stale bread. Take three plates and put in some flour, beaten eggs and breadcrumbs. Use you hands to mould the croquetas mixture into small hand sized shapes  Picture  . Cover each croqueta in flour, cover with the beaten egg and cover with breadcrumbs.

Warm up the pheasant stock, add a small glass of white wine and simmer for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Make a beurre manner with a tablespoonful each of flour and butter and thicken with all or some of it to make a nice gravy and put to one side.

Prepare the vegetables by boiling the celeriac and making into crushed celeriac with a little butter and cream, steaming the broccoli and boiling the carrots if used.

Season the pheasant breasts with salt and pepper, brown on the skin side in a little olive oil in a frying pan for a few minutes and then turn and finish off. Should still be a little pink. Meanwhile fry the breadcrumbed croquetas in a little olive oil in a non-stick frying pan. Rewarm the gravy.

Spoon the vegetables, pheasant breasts and croquetas on to serving plates, pour over some gravy and serve  Zoom  .