Dish up a local pheasant

Ring the changes – dish up a local pheasant

October heralds the arrival of the pheasant season, and you will find that many local Surrey butchers and game stockists (such as Priory Farm, South Nutfield, Redhill) display fresh birds, or are happy to order them for you. And with the nights drawing in and a chill in the air, what better time for a warming roast or cosy casserole? Locally-sourced game from the woodlands and fields of Surrey makes a welcome change and is a great menu choice for a dinner party, especially in the cooler months. It’s a festive favourite too.

Pheasants are thought to have been introduced to Britain by the Romans, who fed them an indulgent diet to fatten them up and then proudly presented them at their banquets. When the Romans left, the pheasants hung around (of which we’ll hear more later), and have continued to put in appearances throughout history. Thomas a Becket is said to have dined on pheasant before his date with destiny at Canterbury Cathedral.

Barbecued pheasant in the height of summer just wouldn’t feel right, but it is just the thing to dish up on a cold winter’s evening. If you are cooking pheasant fairly early in the season (pre-Christmas), the best way is the simplest – roast or casserole it whole. The birds are still young and tender. Most are hatched in April and released to forage a couple of months later; indeed, they are a common site in the Surrey countryside and, sadly, on many a road too!

Game stockist Graham Turner from the Village Butchers at Woking, Surrey, agrees that young pheasant is best served in its entirety, confirming: “Pheasant deserves the justice of being cooked as a whole bird to get the best flavour, including the legs.”

Try this recipe: Roast Pheasant and Raisin Sauce with Apple and Sage Rosti

Once the pheasants are more mature, however, the leg meat needs longer cooking, which is why a casserole works well. It is also the reason chefs often present the legs as a “confit” – a French method of slightly curing meat before poaching it gently in fat until it is meltingly tender.

Choosing your pheasant

Expect to pay around £5 per bird, and one will serve two or three people – remember, a cock will generally be a little larger than a hen, but may be slightly drier and perhaps less flavoursome. The best way to age a pheasant is by looking at its feet – they should be fairly smooth when the bird is young, but become scaly with age. Your butcher will be delighted to advise you - we have many excellent local butchers in Surrey who will also be able to tell you about the provenance on the meat – just one of the reasons it is worth a trip to your local butcher. Supermarkets may be convenient, but they will never beat Surrey’s wealth of independent local food shops when it comes to true passion and product knowledge, so as Mary Portas, Queen of Shops tells us - let’s support them!

Don’t be afraid of hanging

Now, having mentioned “hanging around”, it is important to consider this most discussed aspect of the preparation of pheasant for the table. There are many stories of game birds left hanging until they are green and crawling with maggots, or until their feet fall off, and yes, that can be rather off-putting. In days gone by, it was traditional to hang one’s pheasant for as long as possible, thus developing the “gamey” flavour of the bird. It’s different now. Surrey gamekeeper Andrew Hayward has an interesting point to make: “Not many people these days like strong flavours. We process the birds within two or three days of being shot. To sell a pheasant now, it has got to look like a chicken. Fresh and clean-plucked. Otherwise people won’t buy them.”

Hanging is a matter of choice and opinion and is an interesting subject to raise with your local Surrey butcher. Most seem to agree on a week. James Needham of The Game Larder at Claygate, Surrey, prefers a little longer: “Two weeks to develop the flavour.” Don’t worry, YOU don’t have to do it – it’s the butcher’s job. Talk to yours. Most will be more than happy to take on board your own preferences and supply just the local Surrey gamebird for you.