Pheasant with Parsnip and Apple Mash

Ingredients

For the Mash:

• 750g floury potatoes such as Maris Piper
• 225g parsnips
• 1 large Cox’s or Granny Smith’s apple, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
• 25g butter
• 2 tbsp crème fraiche
• 2 tbsp each chopped fresh chives and parsley

For the Pheasant:

• 15g butter, softened
• 2 tsp plain flour
• 4-6 pheasant breast fillets/supremes
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 50ml white wine
• 200ml chicken stockroot
• vegetable crisps to garnish

Method

Mash: Peel the potatoes and parsnips, cut into even size chunks. Boil in separate pans of lightly salted boiling water for 15-20 mins until tender, adding the apple to the parsnip pan for the final 5 mins drain well.

Return to one pan. Stir over a low heat for 1 min to drive off the excess moisture. Remove from the heat and mash with butter. Stir in the crème fraiche, herbs and seasoning. Keep hot until ready to serve.

Pheasant: Mix the butter and flour together in a small bowl or cup. Set aside. Heat the oil in a non stick or heavy based frying pan. Add the pheasant breasts, skin side down and fry over a medium-high heat for 1 min until golden brown. Turn over. Add the wine to the pan. Allow to boil rapidly for a few seconds until reduced by about two thirds.

Pour in the stock and reduce the heat. Cook at simmering point for a further 5 mins until the pheasant breasts are just cooked through, them remove from the stock and keep warm.

Turn up the heat, whisk the butter and flour mixture into the stock in small pieces, continue whisking until the sauce boils and thickens slightly.