When you "eat the seasons", there's never time to be bored. As one food fades from the culinary calendar, another takes its place. So it's bye for now to the fresh flavours of summer and hello to robust autumn treats, such as one of my favourite game birds - pheasant.
Pheasant chicks are hatched in spring and usually raised in enclosed pens. These allow them plenty of room to roam and forage and protect them from predators like foxes and birds of prey. The young birds are released in summer to mature ready for shooting season, which begins on October 1.
In autumn, pheasants are young, tender and plump. Although sizes vary, a brace (usually one cock and one hen) will provide a satisfying supper for four. Fresh birds continue to be available until the season ends on January 31, so pheasant is timed well for the Christmas table.
Some people are put off by stories of game birds left hanging until they are green and crawling with maggots, or until their feet fall off. Really, there's nothing to worry about. In days gone by, it was traditional to hang pheasants for as long as possible, thus developing the "gamey" flavour. These days, two days' worth of hanging is considered about right for our modern tastes, but if you prefer a more developed flavour, have a chat with your butcher.
Cock birds are generally bigger than hens, although they can be a little dryer. After Christmas, there may be more cocks available because gamekeepers hold cock shoots in January to reduce the number of male birds as the season ends, as only around eight are needed per enclosure of brood hens. You can get some idea of the age of a cock bird by looking at the feet spurs – the bigger they are, the older the bird. Cook mature birds slowly in a pot to tenderise the meat – try adding some red wine, port or dry sherry and some root vegetables for a deliciously rich and tasty sauce.
If you are open roasting your pheasant, which is a perfectly good way to prepare the younger birds you will buy now, allow a cooking time of forty-five minutes to an hour, depending on size. Pheasants are quite small, and easily dry out. Before roasting, try popping half an apple or lemon inside, which will help to keep it moist. A peeled onion will also work well. Rub some butter or oil over the bird and lay some streaky bacon rashers over the breast. Baste regularly. Or you mix some butter with the seasoning of your choice (lemon zest, fresh chopped thyme and black pepper is nice) and smear it under the skin.
One word of warning – do look out for the lead shot which is often still inside game birds and can't be removed before cooking. Just take your time and savour every mouthful. After all, good food is worth taking time over.
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