Venison Backstrap, Quail Eggs and Caviar

 

Venison backstrap on toast with quail eggs and caviar

Backstrap is the lean strip of muscle that runs along either side of a deer's spine. When cooked properly, it is as tender as any cut of meat from any animal can be; but when even slightly overcooked, it will quickly become tough and unpalatable. If you are buying it, you will find it is very expensive, so it is important to know how to cook it right and not to spoil it during the process. In this instance, I have served the sliced backstrap on whole wheat toast spread with horseradish infused quail egg yolks, a simply dressed salad and quail egg and caviar garnishes.

Cook Time

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 10 min

Ready in: 20 min

Yields: 1 serving

Ingredients

• 3 quail eggs, around 1 week old (important for hard boiling any type of egg)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large garlic clove
• Salt and black pepper
• Generous pinch dried basil
• Handful of mixed lettuce leaves, roughly shredded
• 3 baby plum tomatoes, halved down through the core
• 1 inch/2.5cm piece of cucumber, halved lengthways then sliced into crescents
• 6 pitted black olives, halved down through the cavity
• 1 teaspoon horseradish sauce
• 3 inch/7.5cm piece venison backstrap (fallow deer backstrap used in this instance)
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 1 inch/2.5cm thick slice of wheat, spelt and rye bread (or similar)
• Small amount of caviar as required (lumpfish caviar used in this instance)

Method

Put the quail eggs into a small saucepan with enough cold water to ensure they are comfortably covered. Put the pot on to a high heat until the water just starts to boil then adjust the heat to maintain a medium simmer for 1.5 minutes precisely. Lift the pot to your sink and run cold water into it for half a minute or so then leave the eggs in the cold water to cool while you prepare the salad.

Preparing simple salad to accompany venison

Pour the olive oil into a large glass or stone bowl. Peel the garlic clove and either crush or grate it into the bowl. Season with salt, black pepper and the dried basil and stir well with a wooden spoon. Add the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and olives before carefully stir folding to combine and ensure even coating in the seasoned oil.

Halved hard boiled quail eggs

Take your time peeling the quail eggs as they are incredible delicate. Start by cracking the shell gently all around against a hard surface. Peel from the broad end, ensuring you get under the inner membrane as well as the shell. Lay the peeled eggs on a chopping board and cut down the way to halve the eggs with a very sharp, thin bladed knife. I used a fish filleting knife.

Yolk is carefully removed form quail egg halves

The point of the knife can then be used to gently pop the yolk portion out of the egg halves and into a small mixing bowl.
 

Quail egg yolks and horseradish sauce

Add the horseradish sauce to the quail egg yolks and mash together with the back of a fork until fully combined and smooth.

Searing venison backstrap

Pour a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil into a frying pan or skillet and bring it up to a high heat. Season the venison on both sides with salt and pepper and fry on the high heat for 2.5 minutes each side. Lift to a plate and leave to rest for 5 minutes. This resting period is absolutely essential or your backstrap is likely to be tough.

Quail egg yolk toast, salad and caviar garnishes

While the venison is resting, toast the slice of bread until golden on both sides. Lay it diagonally on a square serving plate and spread evenly with the quail egg yolk and horseradish combination. Arrange the salad carefully on either side of the toast, leaving a little room at opposite corners of the plate.

A mother of pearl, plastic or similar type of spoon must be used for caviar. It is vitally important that you do not use a metal spoon as the metal will react with the caviar, causing it to oxidise and the flavour and texture will quickly be affected. Take each quail egg half in turn and spoon a little caviar into the cavity left by the removed yolks. Lay 3 assemblies either side of the toast and salad.

Tucking in to venison backstrap with quail eggs and caviar

Lay the rested venison on a chopping board and slice at a 45-degree angle to a thickness of around 0.25 inch/0.5cm. Lay the slices overlapping on the quail egg yolk toast and serve.

Baked Cherry Stuffed Pheasant Breast

 

Baked cherry stuffed pheasant breasts with sauteed leek mash

Wild game of many different types pairs well with a similarly numerous selection of fruits. While fresh cherries could be used in this recipe, they can be a little bit bitter so carefully rinsed glace cherries were used here instead. The main component of the dish was served on a bed of homemade apple and cider sauce with sauteed leek infused mash and garden peas.

Cook Time

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 25 min

Ready in: 40 min

Yields: 1 serving

Ingredients

• 1 Bramley or similar apple, cored, peeled and very roughly chopped
• 4 tablespoons dry apple cider, 2 each for sauce and for baking pheasant
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• Juice of half a lemon
• 2 medium sized baking potatoes
• Salt
• 1 skinless pheasant breast fillet
• 3 or 4 glace cherries, washed in lukewarm water and quartered
• 3 or 4 strips smoked streaky bacon or as required (standard US bacon)
• Black pepper
• 1 ounce/25g (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 inch/5cm piece of leek stem, finely sliced into discs
• Frozen peas as required

Method

Put your oven on to preheat to 190C/Gas Mark 5/375F.

Apples are starting to break down to form a sauce

Put the apples into a small saucepan along with 2 tablespoons of the cider, the sugar and the lemon juice. Put the pan on to a high heat until the liquid starts to simmer then reduce to medium to low and stir with a wooden spoon until the apple piece have mostly broken down and a lush sauce is starting to form. This should only take a few minutes. Turn off the heat, cover and set aside to cool.

Lay the pheasant breast on a chopping board and make a lengthways cut in the centre, going about 2/3 of the way through only. Lay the washed, chopped cherries in the gap created and season with a little black pepper only. Carefully pull the 2 sides of the pheasant breast together and wrap with the bacon strips to securely seal. Lay the package in a suitably sized casserole dish and pour over the remainder of the cider. Put the lid on the dish and bake in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes.

Cherry stuffed pheasant breast ready for baking

Peel and cut the potatoes into medium chunks. Add to a pot of cold, salted water and bring to a simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are just softened.

Leeks are put on to soften in butter

When the potatoes have been simmering for about 10 minutes, add the butter to s small saucepan and put it on to a medium heat to melt. Add the leeks and season with salt and pepper. Saute for a few minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the leeks are softened. Turn off the heat and briefly set aside.

Take the pheasant breast from the oven and test with a skewer to ensure the juices run clear. Put the lid back on the dish and set aside to rest for 5 minutes.

Add the peas to a pot of salted boiling water and reduce heat to achieve a simmer for 3 minutes.

When the potatoes are just softened, drain and return to the pot. Allow to steam off for a couple of minutes before mashing with a hand masher then carefully stirring in the sauteed leeks.

Lift the pheasant to a chopping board and cut in half at a 45-degree angle.

Spoon the apple sauce carefully into the centre of a square serving plate and arrange the pheasant breast pieces on top as shown in the picture at the top of this post. Use 2 dessert spoons to quenelle the potatoes and lay at the 4 corners of the plate, again as shown. Drain the peas and carefully spoon into the spaces around the pheasant and between the potato quenelles to serve.

Pigeon Breast and Fried Duck Egg Roll

 

Sliced, seared pigeon breasts and fried duck egg bread roll

A morning roll as they are sometimes referred to in Scotland is not usually one of the first ways that springs to mind of serving any form of wild game. They are more commonly associated with ingredients such as Lorne/sliced/square sausage, bacon or perhaps some form of cold meat cut. It is amazing, however, how many different ingredients are perfectly suited to being incorporated within a bread roll and these sliced pigeon breasts, combined with a fried duck egg, proved a real winner.

Cook Time

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 10 min

Ready in: 20 min

Yields: 1 serving

Ingredients

• 2 skinless pigeon breast fillets
• Salt and pepper
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 1 duck egg (as fresh as possible)
•  1 soft bread roll

 

Seasoned pigeon breasts are put on to fry

Pour a little oil into a non-stick frying pan and bring it up to a high heat. Season the pigeon breasts and fry for 2.5 minutes each side (or 3 minutes each side if particularly large breasts). Remove from the pan to a plate, cover and leave to rest for 5 minutes.

Duck egg is added to hot frying pan

Break the duck egg into a small cup or bowl. This makes it much easier to deposit it into the frying pan and reduces the risk of a broken yolk. Carefully wipe away any excess oil from the hot pan with a wad of kitchen paper. Too much oil in the pan could cause the egg to run before it has a chance to start setting. Bring the lip of the cup or glass close to the surface of the still very hot pan and pour in the egg in one fluid movement. Season the egg with salt and pepper. When the egg is clearly going to hold its shape, reduce the heat and fry for about 3 minutes before turning with a spatula to fry for 3 minutes on the second side.

Rested pigeon breasts are sliced

When the duck egg is almost ready, lift the pigeon breasts to a chopping board. A fork is best used to hold each breast in turn steady at one end while you slice them moderately thinly at a 45-degree angle with a sharp carving knife.

Pigeon breast slices are laid on bread roll

Cut or carefully tear the bread roll open. Arrange the pigeon breast slices overlapping on the bottom half of the roll.

Fried duck egg is laid on top of pigeon breast slices

When the duck egg is done, lift it carefully with a spatula on to the pigeon breast slices and close the roll over to serve.

Tucking in to a pigeon breast and fried duck egg roll

The duck egg yolk should still be slightly liquid, making for a perfectly moist as well as delicious sandwich.

Pigeon Breasts with Chilli Mustard Mash

 

Pigeon breasts with mustard mash and spicy tomato sauce

Wood pigeons are very often obtained as a foodstuff when they are shot as pests by farmers. This is due to them eating the crops growing in the fields in the mid summer months. This is of course great news for wild game lovers as the breasts of these birds truly are a delectable treat. It is vitally important, however, that they are not over cooked (as is the case with most types of wild game) as they will become extremely tough, rubbery and effectively inedible. This colourful dish sees the pigeon breasts pan fried before being served with chilli and mustard mashed potatoes, green beans and a homemade, spicy tomato sauce.

Note that you are likely to have more sauce than you will need for one portion of this dish and potentially extra mash as well. The good news is that both can very successfully be cooled, placed in a suitable dish and kept in the fridge for several days.

Cook Time

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 20 min

Ready in: 30 min

Yields: 1 serving

Ingredients

• 2 large baking potatoes
• Salt
• 8 ounce/225g can chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
• 1/4 teaspoon hot chilli powder
• Black pepper
• 2 skinless pigeon breast fillets
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 8 to 10 French beans, trimmed
• 1 teaspoon English mustard
• 1 small red chilli, seeded and finely diced

Method

Peel the potatoes and chop to moderately large chunks. Place them into a pot of cold, salted water and bring the water to a moderate simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the potatoes are just softened.

Pour the canned tomatoes into a saucepan and add the garlic, chilli powder, salt and pepper. Bring to a very gentle simmer for up to 10 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the sauce is thickened. Turn off the heat, cover and leave to partly cool.

Pigeon breasts are put on to fry

When the potatoes have been simmering for 10 minutes, pour a little vegetable oil into a frying pan and bring it up to a medium to high heat. Season the pigeon breasts on both sides with salt and pepper and fry for 2.5 to 3 minutes each side (depending upon their size). Time them and be careful not to overcook. When they are done, lift them to a plate, cover and leave for 5 minutes to rest.

Add the beans to a pot of simmering, salted water and cook for 5 minutes before draining.

Potatoes are hand mashed

When the potatoes are just softened, drain them through a colander and return to the empty pot. Allow them to steam off for 2 to 3 minutes. This gets rid of the excess moisture and prevents soggy mash. Use a hand masher to mash until smooth.

Mustard and chilli are added to mash

Add the English mustard and chopped chilli to the mash. Carefully stir until fully and evenly combined.

Spicy mash and French beans are plated

Two dessert spoons are best used to form 4 potato quenelles, which should be placed close to each corner of a square serving plates. The French beans can be arranged in the centre of the plate.

Pigeon breasts are balanced on mash 

Slice the pigeon breasts in half at a 45-degree angle and sit half a breast carefully on top of each potato quenelle. A teaspoon of the tomato sauce should be added between each pair of quenelles before service.

Pheasant Leg and Duck Egg Mini Tortilla

 

Pheasant leg and duck egg mini Spanish tortilla

A traditional Spanish tortilla can perhaps be described as an extra thick omelette containing onion and potato, usually cooled and cut into segments (like pizza) for serving. I have stayed true to tradition by keeping the potato and onion in the recipe but I have substituted the chicken eggs for duck eggs and added some deliciously tender pheasant leg meat and garden peas. I also served this tortilla hot.

Skinless pheasant legs in slow cooker

I have experimented with cooking pheasant legs many different ways over the years, but frankly, I would not cook them any other way these days than in the slow cooker. They take 10 hours at low setting to cook to tender perfection, so I generally cook them overnight, simply with water, salt and a teaspoon of dried thyme.

Cooked pheasant legs are left to cool

When the pheasant legs are done, lift them from the slow cooker to a plate with a slotted spoon, cover and leave to rest and cool. You should then take the time to carefully pluck the meat from the bones in small chunks. This can be quite a laborious and time consuming job, particularly if the tendons are still in place in the lower section of the leg, but don't rush it as you don't want one of the tendons or bones in a mouthful of your meal.

Cook Time (not including Pheasant Leg cooking)

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 10 min

Ready in: 25 min

Yields: 1 serving

Ingredients

• 3 duck eggs
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable or sunflower oil
• 2 tablespoons half-inch/1.25cm diced potato chunks
• 1/2 small red onion, peeled and finely sliced
• 1 tablespoon frozen peas
• 2 tablespoons cooked, cooled and flaked pheasant leg meat
• Smoked paprika
• Chopped parsley to garnish

Method

Bring a small pot of water to a rolling boil before adding the frozen peas. Simmer for 3 minutes before draining and setting aside to partly cool.

Break the duck eggs into a large bowl and mix with a fork until the yolks and albumens are just combined.

Potato and onion are added to hot oil

Pour the cooking oil into a large, non-stick frying pan or skillet and bring it up to a medium heat. Add the potato and onion and saute for about 5 minutes, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon, until the potato is cooked and the onion is softened.

Pheasant meat and peas are added to cooked onion and potato

Add the peas and pheasant meat and saute for a further couple of minutes just to ensure they are fully reheated.

Combined duck eggs are carefully poured into frying pan

Carefully pour the combined eggs over the other ingredients in the pan and turn up the heat to medium to high, Put your kitchen grill (broiler) on to preheat to its highest setting.

Traditionally, a tortilla is partly cooked before being turned with the aid of a second pan to cook on the other side. In this instance, I cooked the tortilla for a few minutes until I could see the eggs were mostly set before I scattered over a little smoked paprika and placed the pan under the grill to complete the cooking process. Note that this probably wouldn't work quite so well with the conventional, inch or more thick style of tortilla and a second pan would be required.

Pheasant leg and pea tortilla is ready to serve

When the tortilla is completely set, slide it carefully from the pan with the aid of a spatula and garnish with the chopped parsley for service.

Rabbit, Beef and Root Vegetable Stew

 

Rabbit beef and root vegetable stew

Rabbit stew is a comfort dish I will forever associate with childhood, specifically when my Gran would make a simple but delicious stew from freshly hunted rabbit, mutton from the local butcher's shop, carrots and onions. The ingredients in this dish of my own creation may be somewhat different but the technique and principles are largely the same and the warming sensation this provides, particularly on a cold, Winter's evening, is quite sublime.

Cook Time

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 1 hour 30 min

Ready in: 1 hour 40 min

Yields: 2 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cleaned and portioned rabbit
• 1/4 pound/125g piece of boiling beef (short rib/flank), bone in
• 2 medium carrots, topped, tailed and sliced into discs
• 1 medium leek stem, sliced into discs
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• Salt and black pepper
• 3 pints cold water
• 2 medium baking potatoes, peeled and chopped to 1.5-inch/3.5cm chunks
• 1 small Swede turnip/rutabaga, peeled and chopped to 1.5inch/3.5cm chunks
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley to garnish
• 1 large French baguette, cut into thick slices, to serve (optional)

Portioned rabbit ready for stewing

I had to clean, skin and portion the rabbit used in this recipe. I will assume that the rabbit you use has already been cleaned and skinned but it may not have been portioned. If you are buying it from a butcher or wild game dealer, you can of course ask them to portion it for you but the process is not particularly complicated.

You can use a sturdy chef's knife for this job but I prefer to use a Chinese style cleaver. Whatever you are using, make sure of course that it is razor sharp.

I like to start by removing the hind legs. Lay the rabbit flat on a chopping board, back uppermost, and carefully cut through the flesh surrounding the joint between the first hind leg and the rabbit's body. Lay the cleaver/knife down, grab the leg in one hand and the body in the other and bend the leg in the opposite to natural direction to pop it free at the ball joint. Take the cleaver and cut away any still attached flesh and lift the leg free. Repeat for the second hind leg, and subsequently, the two, smaller fore legs.

Turn the rabbit over and cut through the flesh at the joint between the rib section and the saddle. Hold the ribs in one hand, the saddle in the other and bend back to snap the bone. If necessary, you can chop through the bone with your cleaver, but if doing so, be very, very careful not to chop through a part of you at the same time! Perform a similar operation at the joint between the saddle and the tail bones and your rabbit is portioned and ready for cooking.

Note that while I do often use the rabbit ribs in my recipes (especially in the slow cooker) as there is a little bit of meat on there, I chose not to in this instance, as the meat was served entirely on the bone.

Rabbit and beef is put on to boil

Method

You will need a large soup or stock pot for this recipe. Start by adding the rabbit, whole piece of beef, the carrots and the leek to the pot. Season with the thyme, salt and pepper before pouring in the water and putting on to a high heat until a simmer is achieved. Adjust the heat to maintain the simmer for an initial 45 minutes.

Potato and Swede is added to rabbit stew

Add the diced potato and Swede turnip to the pot, carefully stir turn it around and simmer for a further and final 45 minutes.

Cooked boiling beef

Use a metal skewer to check that the rabbit thighs are tender before using a slotted spoon to left the beef only from the pot to a suitable plate or wide bowl. Two forks can then be used to separate the beef from the fat and bone. Discard the fat and bone, roughly shred the meat with the forks and return it to the pot. Carefully stir it through the stew. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Stewed rabbit, beef and vegetables

A large slotted spoon is best used to lift all the meat and vegetables to an appropriate serving dish. A few ladles of the stock should then be drizzled over the top to keep the meat moist before the stew is garnished with the chopped parsley and served.

Venison Curry in Giant Yorkshire Pudding

 

Spicy venison curry in a giant Yorkshire pudding

While curry of any kind is most often served with rice and/or a wide potential variety of Indian flatbreads, it works wonderfully well served in a number of different ways. In this instance, we will see a tasty, homemade roe deer venison curry served inside a larger than standard Yorkshire pudding to excellent effect. Note that meaty stews - wild game or otherwise - work equally well served in this fashion.

Cook Time

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 3 hours 15 min

Ready in: 3 hours 30 min

Yields: 2 servings

Ingredients (Venison Curry)

• 1 pound/450g roe deer venison loin meat, diced to 1 inch/2.5cm chunks
• 4 tablespoons vegetable (or sunflower) oil
• 2 teaspoons medium hot curry powder
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• Salt and pepper
• 1 small onion, peeled and sliced
• 14 ounce/400g can chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
• 1/2 each red, green, yellow bell peppers, seeded and sliced
• 1 medium to large red chilli, thinly sliced, seeds in
• 4 large garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 pint/568ml fresh chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped coriander leaf/cilantro, plus extra to garnish

Ingredients (per Yorkshire Pudding)

• 2 small eggs
• Equal quantity by volume plain/all purpose flour
• Equal quantity by volume full cream milk
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• Black pepper
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Venison is browned in spiced oil

Method

Pour the vegetable oil into a large stew pot and add all the powdered/ground spices. Put the pot on to a low to medium heat and stir the spices around in the warming oil for a couple of minutes with a wooden spoon. This helps both to release the flavours from the spices as well as to cook off the harshness that may otherwise be imparted into the curry. Be careful not to overcook and burn the spices or they will turn bitter.

Add the venison chunks to the pot, turn up the heat slightly and stir for 2 or 3 minutes until the meat is evenly browned and sealed all over. Add the sliced onion and cook in a similar fashion for a further couple of minutes until the onion strands are just starting to soften.

Tomatoes and peppers are added to the spiced venison and onion

Pour the canned tomatoes into the pot. Add the sliced bell peppers, chilli and garlic - as well as salt and pepper to taste - and stir well to combine everything together. Pour the chicken stock into the pot, stir again and turn up the heat until you achieve a very gentle simmer. Cover and continue to simmer as gently as possible for 3 hours, stirring occasionally and ensuring the mixture doesn't start to boil dry. If absolutely necessary, add a little more chicken stock or boiling water but note that this can impart negatively on the flavour of the finished dish.

Yorkshire pudding principal ingredients

When the curry has been simmering for around 2 hours, it's time to start making the Yorkshire puddings. These little 3-inch/7.5cm diameter ramekins are perfect for measuring out the Yorkshire pudding batter ingredients, as well as for many other not always so obvious purposes in the kitchen (but  much more to come on that at later dates!) Simply break the 2 eggs carefully into one of them before filling 2 more to similar levels with flour and milk.

Pour the eggs, flour and milk into a mixing bowl and season with the turmeric, salt and black pepper. Whisk to combine and form a smooth batter. Put the bowl into your fridge for the batter to rest while you heat the oven and cooking dishes. Note that you will need to prepare batter this way for each Yorkshire pudding you intend making.

Pour a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil into a 7-inch/18cm diameter casserole dish and place the dish into the cold oven before turning the oven on to preheat to 220C/450F/Gas Mark 8. If making 2 puddings, you will obviously require 2 cooking vessels.

Yorkshire pudding batter is poured into hot oil

Very carefully, lift the heated casserole dish(es) to a heatproof surface. Pour in the chilled batter, being careful of potentially splashing hot oil. Put the dish(es) straight back into the hot oven and cook for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not open the oven to check on the pudding(s) before the 25 minutes are up as this could affect the rising of the pudding(s).

Coriander is added to venison curry

When the Yorkshire pudding(s) is/are in the oven, add the coriander/cilantro to the curry, stir carefully but well and simmer for 15 final minutes before turning off the heat under the pot.

Giant Yorkshire pudding removed from the oven

The Yorkshire pudding(s) should come out of the oven beautifully golden and risen around the edges, with plenty of room in the centre for serving the curry. They should lift easily from the casserole dish with a large slotted spoon to your serving plate.

Venison curry spooned into Yorkshire pudding

Spoon the curry carefully into each pudding, garnish with the last of the coriander and serve immediately.

Pheasant Breast and Spinach Curry

 

Pheasant and spinach curry with rice

Pheasant breasts are similar in many ways to chicken breasts. This means that they can be very successfully substituted into most recipes where chicken would normally be the principal ingredient. This simple recipe sees them combined with that regular curry staple, spinach, to form a medium hot and incredibly tasty dish which can be enjoyed with rice, flatbreads or even a baked potato.

As pheasant is a seasonal bird in the UK and can only legally be shot between 1st October and 1st February each year, it should be noted that the breasts used in this recipe were taken from birds that were shot in season and cleaned, before their meat was frozen and subsequently defrosted overnight in the fridge.

Cook Time

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 1 hour

Ready in: 1 hour 15 min

Yields: 4 to 6 servings

Chopped peppers, onion and garlic

Ingredients

• 6 skinless pheasant breast fillets, chopped into 3/4-inch/2cm chunks
• 3 bell peppers (green, yellow and red), seeded and sliced
• 1 white onion, peeled and sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 6 birds' eye chillies (3 red, 3 green), finely sliced
• 3 tablespoons vegetable or sunflower oil
• 3 teaspoons hot curry powder (or as desired to taste)
• 4 14 ounce/400g cans chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 1 pound/450g baby spinach leaves
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped coriander leaf/cilantro, plus extra for rice and to garnish
• 3 ounces/80g basmati rice per person
• Ground turmeric
  

Browning pheasant breast pieces in oil

Method

Pour the oil into a large soup or stock pot and bring it up to a medium to high heat. Add the pheasant only and saute for a couple of minutes until just sealed, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Remove the pheasant from the pot to a holding plate with a slotted spoon, being sure to leave as much oil in the pot as possible.

Sauteing peppers and onion

Add the onion, garlic and curry powder to the hot oil and saute for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the onion strands are softened. Add the peppers and chillies and cook in the same way for a further few minutes until the peppers are just starting to soften.

Pour the canned tomatoes into the pot and season with salt and black pepper. Stir carefully but very well and bring to a gentle simmer.

Pheasant pieces are added to prepared sauce

Return the browned pheasant breast pieces to the pot and carefully stir through. Bring back to a simmer for a total of 20 minutes, stirring frequently and well.

When the curry has been simmering for about 10 minutes, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Wash the required amount of rice in a sieve before adding it to the water. Stir well. Bring back to a simmer for 10 minutes (or per the instructions on the pack).

Spinach is added to pheasant curry

It is likely that you will have to add the spinach in 2 or 3 stages. Simply add a few handfuls and carefully stir fold through. It will fairly quickly wilt and allow you room in the pot to add more. When it is all added, stir very well and simmer for 5 final minutes.

Drain the rice carefully through a sieve, return to the pot and stir well again. Leave to steam off and dry out for a few minutes while you add the coriander to the curry and carefully stir it through. Turn off the heat.

Season the rice with some ground turmeric and black pepper and stir well with a metal spoon (a wooden spoon is more likely to cause rice to stick together) before adding some chopped coriander. Stir again.

Turmeric and coriander rice

Spoon the rice into deep serving plates and the curry on top. Garnish with the last of the chopped coriander before serving.