Roast Pheasant with Braised Turnips, Chestnuts and Apples

Serves 4

Pre heat the oven to 190C, 375F, Gas mark 5, season the birds inside and out, place a small nob of butter inside each pheasant and half the onion in each pheasant, cover the breast of each bird with 2 rashes of streaky bacon, place in a roasting tin and cook for 40 minutes, basting from time to time. Remove the bacon and return the birds back to the oven for a final 10 minutes to brown the breast. Make a thin gravy with the roasting juices, keep warm.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a heavy based casserole, add the turnips and sauté in the pan for 3-4 minutes then add the chestnuts and cook for a further 2 minutes, season well, then add the cider, veg stock and bay leaves and cook in the oven with a lid on under the pheasants for 20 minutes. Then, remove the lid, and add the apple and sage and mix in well and cook without the lid for a further 8-10 minutes.

Then drain the turnip mixture and put on a serving platter with the pheasants at the side. Then add the remaining vegetable juices to the gravy and serve.