Butter Poached Pheasant
Recipe by Scott Davies, Executive Chef, Old Manse of Blair
Ingredients
Meat Brine
1900ml water
50g runny honey
1 bulb garlic
2 parsley stalks
5 bay leaves
3 sprigs thyme
120g salt
1tbsp black peppercorns
Boil and cool, strain after cold
Method
Confit Pheasant Thigh
Remove any feathers, bone out thigh bone
Place in meat brine for 1.5hrs, leave in fridge.
Remove from fridge, lightly wash off and pat dry
Cook at 75deg in duck fat with a few sprigs of thyme for 2-3hrs until just tender
Remove from the heat and leave to coold for 30mins in the fat
Remove the thigh from the fat, place on a tray lined with greaseproof paper, cover with paper
Place a tray and weight on top and lightly press. Leave in the fridge for 2-3hrs until cold and set
Trim the thigh, pan fry skin side down in a little oil until crispy. Add a little butter, flip over
Once the butter is foaming add thyme sprig and garlic clove. Baste for a couple of minutes
Remove from the pan, drain, finish with sea salt and pepper
Pheasant Breast
Brine the pheasant breast for 30mins. Remove, lightly wash off and pat dry
Place in the beurre monte at 65degC for 30mins. Move the pheasant breast and check the temperature
Remove from the butter, drain, rest warm for 2mins. Season and slice
Ingredients
Jus Gra
1ltr double brown chicken stock reduced
150g chicken wings diced
150g pheasant drum sticks diced
3 carrots diced
5 cloves of garlic lightly crushed
150g button mushrooms, sliced
150g banana shallots peeled & sliced
3 bay leaves
5g dried thyme
1 sprig rosemary
250g unsalted butter
10g blackthorn salt
1 bottle of vintage cider
50ml cider vinegar
Method
Roast the chicken wings and pheasant bones in a little oil until golden brown
At the same time, roast off the carrots until golden and brown, in a pan with veg oil
Add the garlic, cook for 2mins. Add the butter
Cook until nut brown, add mushrooms, cook for 5mins.
Add shallots, cook for 5mins
Add herbs, salt and wings. Cook for 5mins. Add vinegar and cider, reduce by 2/3rds
Add chicken stock and boil hard for 15-20mins or until sauce consistency. Leave off the heat for 10mins
Check acidity and seasoning, pass through a fine sieve, make sure to squeeze out.
Pour through a fine sieve and tab through. Leave to cool at room temperature, whisking now and again
Ingredients
Nordic mustard
60g yellow mustard seeds
60g brown mustard seeds
200ml black skye ale
60g runny honey
50ml cider vinegar
10g blackthorn salt
Method
Mix all together, place in container with a tight fitting lid
Soak for 24hrs in a warm place
Blend until smooth
Soaked mustard seeds
100g yellow mustard seeds
100g brown mustard seeds
225g sweet apple vinegar
Soak for 24hrs warm
Pickled poached pear
150g apple cider vinegar
150g caster sugar
300g water
3 crushed all spice
5 crushed juniper berries
3 bay leaves
5g sea salt
Method
Place all ingredients in a pan and bring to the simmer, cook for one minute
Leave to cool and pass
Peel and quarter the pear, remove the seeds
Place in pickle and gently poach pear until just tender
Leave to cool in the pickle
Garnish
Savoy cabbage blanched 7cm disc
Roasted salsify
Fresh chestnut
Cooked chestnut
Sliced pickled pear (use poaching liquid)
Beurre Monte