Braised Pheasant in Madeira

Ingredients

• 1 pheasant, quartered, with neck and giblets
• For the stock:
• 1 onion, sliced in half
• 1 carrot, split lengthways
• 1 thick celery stick, cut into chunks (plus leaves)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 6 black peppercorns
• salt
• For the sauce:
• 10 fl oz (275 ml) Sercial (dry) Madeira
• 8 oz (225 g) button mushrooms
• 1½ oz (40 g) plain flour
• salt and freshly milled black pepper
• 1½ oz (40 g) butter
• 16 shallots, peeled
• 8 oz (350 g) bacon (in one piece if you can get it), cut into cubes
• 12 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 10 fl oz (275 ml) dry white wine

Instructions

Make the stock: wash the necks and giblets then place them in a medium-sized saucepan with 1 pint (570 ml) water and add all the stock ingredients. Bring everything up to the boil, skim off any scum that rises to the surface, then turn the heat down to a gentle simmer. Put a lid half on the pan and simmer for 1½-2 hours. After that, strain the stock to use for the sauce.

Pheasant: Crisp the bacon and remove. Brown the pheasant by seasoning in the bacon drippings until they're golden brown. As they brown, transfer them to a le Crueset. Then, in the fat remaining in the pan, sauté the shallots until golden brown and also remove them with a slotted spoon to a plate. Add the flour and cook for a minute. Add stock and stir vigorously until sauce is thick and smooth Add Madeira and wine and stir until smooth. Now add the thyme, bay leaves and chopped garlic and the pheasant.

Bring everything to simmering point, then keep the heat low so that the contents just gently, almost imperceptibly bubble. Put on a tight-fitting lid and cook on top of the stove for 45 minutes.

After that add the mushrooms, the bacon and shallots, and spoon some of the juices over them. Then put the lid on, bring everything back to a gentle simmer and simmer for a further 45 minutes or until the pheasant is tender when tested with a small skewer.