Pheasant breast with cauliflower pur茅e and roast garlic
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 55ml/2fl oz olive oil
- 1kg/2lb chicken wings
- 2 shallots, peeled and finely sliced
- 2 bay leaves
- 75ml/2陆fl oz Madeira
- 75ml/2陆fl oz white wine
- 1.5 litres/2 pints chicken stock
For the cauliflower pur茅e
- 1 cauliflower, broken into florets
- 55g/2oz butter
- 2 shallots, peeled and finely sliced
- 4 tbsp double cream
For the roast garlic
For the pheasant
- 4 pheasant breasts
For the garnish
- fresh thyme sprigs
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
To make the sauce, heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the chicken wings and cook over a high heat until coloured all over.
Pour off the excess oil and add the shallots and bay leaves and cook for two minutes.
Add the Madeira and white wine, bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half.
Add the stock and bring back to the simmer for 1 hour, regularly skimming off any surface scum.
Strain the sauce into a clean pan, return to the heat, bring back to the boil and skim again.
To make the cauliflower pur茅e, chop the cauliflower florets into small pieces.
Melt a little butter in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the shallots and cauliflower and sweat until soft but not coloured.
Transfer the mixture to a food processor. Blend the mixture while adding the cream slowly, until a smooth pur茅e is formed.
Place the pur茅e in a small pan and keep warm.
Meanwhile, place the garlic bulb halves cut-side down in an ovenproof non-stick frying pan. Drizzle over a little olive oil and place over a medium heat until the garlic begins to colour.
Transfer to a hot oven and roast for 8-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat an ovenproof frying pan. Add the pheasant breasts, flesh-side down and cook for one minute, or golden brown. Turn the pheasant breasts over and transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 5-6 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove the pheasant from the oven and leave to rest for 3-4 minutes.
To serve, slice each pheasant breast and place on four individual serving plates. Garnish with the thyme sprigs and serve with the sauce, cauliflower pur茅e and roast garlic.