Â鶹ԼÅÄ

PHEASANT WITH GREEN GRAPES AND GINGER WINE
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:
2 small heads bok choi, halved lengthways
olive oil, for frying
4 pheasant breasts
150ml ginger wine
16 seedless green grapes, peeled and cut in half
knob of butter (about 80g)

METHOD:
Blanch the bok choi in a large pan of boiling water for about 1 minute, drain and put to one side.

Over a medium heat, heat a little olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Season the pheasant breasts and fry them in the oil, turning every couple of minutes. After approx 8 minutes the breasts should be cooked but will still be lovely and pink in the middle. Set them aside on a warm plate to rest.

Pan-fry the blanched bok choi in the oil and juices left over from the pheasant for about 1 minute on each side. Remove from the pan and keep warm.

Add the ginger wine to the pan and bring to the boil, gently stirring in all the sediment off the bottom of the pan. Add the grapes. Remove the pan from the heat and quickly whisk in the butter to thicken the sauce.

Divide the bok choi between four warmed plates and arrange the pheasant on top. Share the sauce among the plates and serve.

SMOKED PHEASANT BREASTS
This recipe can be made using a lidded charcoal barbecue.

Soak your wood chips in water and light your barbecue coals smoker in advance of prepping your pheasant.

Your charcoals will take about 30 minutes to turn glowing white before it is ready for cooking. Once your charcoal is lit, put your wood chips in a foil pouch with holes punched in the top to allow the smoke to escape out the top.

Place the pheasant breasts on the rack of your barbecue and pop the lid on. Cook for an hour and 15 minutes.

Check your smoked pheasant breasts to make sure the temperature is still holding. Flip the breasts and close the lid again. After 30 minutes, check the internal temperature of the pheasant with a meat thermometer. You are looking for a temperature of 75°C before you can pull them off the smoker. 

MEDLAR JELLY

Cut the fruit after washing it. Cover with water and simmer gently, covered until the medlars have reduced to a soft pulp. Strain the juice through a muslin-lined sieve, without pressure - which will provide a clear jelly. Alternatively if you squeeze the pulp hard you'll get an opaque appearance.
Measure the juice. Put it onto boil with 500g of sugar to 600ml of juice.
As in jam making, the jelly will reach setting point, at which point it@s ready to be poured in to a sterilised jar.

Testing for the setting point: spoon a small amount of the boiling jelly on to a plate, pop the plate in to the fridge and allow to cool. The jelly is ready if the sample forms a skin that is firm enough to wrinkle when when you push it with your fingertip. If the sample remains completely fluid continue to boil the jelly for a few minutes then re-test.

CRUNCHY BAR MOUSSE

INGREDIENTS:
For the Honeycomb:
200g caster sugar
180g golden syrup
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the mousse:
6 egg yolks
150g golden syrup
200g caster sugar
50ml water
180g white chocolate
½ tsp turmeric
1.1l double cream
100g honeycomb powder (honeycomb whizzed up in a food processor)

For the chocolate crumble:
300g dark brown sugar
475g ground almonds
225g bread flour
150g cocoa powder
3 g salt
195g melted butter

METHOD:
First make the honeycomb. Heat the sugar & golden syrup in a pan until amber in colour (around 5-8 minutes). Mix in the bicarb & pour into a lined tray. Leave to cool & be careful not to burn yourself…

Next make the mousse. Heat golden syrup, sugar & water in a pan until all the sugar is dissolved. Whisk the yolks in a bowl & slowly pour in the boiled syrup mix. Add the turmeric.

Melt the white chocolate. Whisk the cream to soft peaks.
Gradually fold the egg mix into the chocolate. Then fold in the whipped cream.

For the chocolate crumble, mix all the dry ingredients in a food processor. Pour in the melted butter.
Bake at 180°C for 15-20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes.