Pot-roasted pheasant

• pheasants↗2

  tied (ask your butcher to do this)

• plain flour↗1 tbsp tbsp

  well seasoned

• vegetable oil↗50ml ml
• rashers smoked streaky bacon↗2

  thinly sliced

• shallots↗8

  peeled and left whole

• carrots↗2

  peeled and quartered lengthways

• parsnips↗2

  peeled and quartered lengthways

• garlic clove↗1

  peeled and crushed

• thyme↗1

  sprig

• marjoram↗1

  sprig

• bay leaves↗2
• marsala↗100ml ml

  or sweet sherry

• red wine↗50ml ml
• chicken stock↗200ml ml
• caster sugar↗1 tsp tsp
• bread↗

  sauce, to serve

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Dust the pheasants with the flour, then heat the oil in a large flameproof dish. Brown the pheasants all over, then remove from the dish.

2. 2

   In the same dish, fry the bacon, vegetables, garlic and herbs with 1 tbsp of the dusting flour for 5 mins, until the vegetables start to colour. Put the pheasants and any resting juices back in the dish, pour on the Marsala, wine and stock, add the sugar, then cover and cook for 1 hr 30 mins - 1 hr 50 mins or until the leg meat easily comes away from the bone. Serve with bread sauce.