PHEASANT WITH MANGO & CHILLI SAUCE

Game season -- a wonderful opportunity for new flavours ...

Mango & Chilli make great companions for pheasant,
(served here with new potatoes and lightly steamed courgette)

Pheasant is back in supermarkets and butchers* for a fiver or less; teaming it with  fresh mango** and a touch of chilli for heat produced a lovely tangy savoury dish.    

Pheasant is one of those healthy 'wild' meats: it's not factory-farmed, the birds have spent most of their lives outdoors and the meat is lean and low in fat.  

Care must be taken to stop it drying out.  Traditionally, it's served roasted and rare but only if they are young birds.  

67, preferring well cooked meat, slow cooks the pheasant, intensifying the flavour and ensuring the meat is succulent and juicy, whatever the bird's age.  

One bird feeds 2-3 generously.  The birds are pretty thoroughly plucked but you may see one or two tail feathers which can be removed with sterilised tweezers.  67 seldom encounters shot in the flesh but apparently some birds have them; keep an eye out when eating.

Cost: £6 + cost of alcohol 

Ingred:
    1 jointed pheasant (2 legs, 2 breasts) 

    2 slices back bacon, in lardons (opt)

    olive oil
    1 small onion, diced
    1 small clove garlic, grated
    1 small celery stalk, peeled and finely diced 
    80 ml/ 1/3 cup sherry/white wine/apple cider/grape juice
    300 ml/1 1/4 cups good chicken stock
    1/2 large fresh mango, as ripe as you can get it, peeled and in small dice
    1/2 med fresh chilli, membranes & seeds removed; in one piece (OR a generous pinch of chilli flakes)
   
    water/stock to cover, including a shot of brandy
    1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard

    Once the casserole is cooked:
        1 tbsp butter & 1 tbsp flour mashed together OR     
        1/2-1 tbsp  cornflour mixed with 1/2- 1 tbsp cold water
        1 tbsp mango chutney (opt)

   Garnish: fresh parsley (opt)
        
        
Method:

1. Lightly season pheasant joints 
2. If using bacon, fry over med-high heat in a large heavy-bottom pan until fat releases and lardons begin to brown; remove to paper towel 
3. Turn up heat; brown joints 2-3 mins each side (if you prefer not to use bacon fat, replace with olive oil); set aside
4. Reduce heat to med-low, add onions, garlic & celery and, if necessary, a bit of olive oil; sautee 5 mins until soft & translucent
5. Return pheasant & bacon, if using, to pan; add alcohol, stock, whole piece of fresh chilli and a few tablespoons diced mango; bring to the boil; bubble gently 5 mins
6. Stir in mustard and a shot of brandy 
7. Either (a) decant into slow cooker and cook on low for 2-2 1/2 hours, depending on the size of the bird OR (b) reduce heat of hob to low, put a lid on the pan and simmer gently an hour or until cooked through and tender OR (c) place in a covered casserole dish in a moderate oven and bake 1 hour or until cooked through and tender 
8. Add the rest of the mango cubes: (a) slow cooker, 1 hour before end of cooking (b) baking or cooking on hob, half an hour before end of cooking  
9. When cooked, the pheasant should be tender but not falling apart.  
10. Remove large piece of chilli.  Taste & season.  If the fruity flavour hasn't come through, add a bit of more mango chutney.   If the mango wasn't ripe enough, a pinch of sugar may be necessary.  Depending on taste, add a few chilli flakes and/or a dash or two of tabasco.
11. Thicken juices with 1 tbsp butter & 1 tbsp flour mashed together or a lower-fat cornflour slurry of 1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 1 tbsp cold water.  
12. Serve with potato (mashed is perfect) or rice, cabbage or sprouts or other green veg

Comments:
'The pheasant and sauce were delicious; I really enjoyed the combination of flavours and the heat of the chilli!  Thanks for letting me be a guinea pig; would be happy to do so again.'  New political campaign manager
'Really good new idea on a traditional roast.'  Political agent

'Lovely subtle flavours that enhanced the slight gaminess of the meat but wasn't in your face.' Retired writer

 *67's partridge was from Barratts, Englands Lane
**large, £ at Morrisons

Tips:

• if you liked this, you will probably also like Pheasant with Brandy & Plums and Armagnac Partridges with Apple

More recipes for game in NavBar: Recipes 1/Poultry

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This recipe has been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.