Pheasant with Sloe Gin and Port Sauce, Soured Red Cabbage and Carrot Puree

To cook the pheasant heat oven to 200C, cook and a heavy based oven proof pan for 10 minutes on on breast, then turn and 10 minutes on the other.  Then cook on the back for another 10 minuntes.  This will vary on the size of the bird so check the juices after 25 minutes of cooking to make sure you don't over cook this.  (Place a skewer deep into the fattest part of the bird and remove and watch the colour of the juices, when the juices run clear and not pink, then it is ready.) Rest for ten minutes.

The sauce takes about 45minutes to an hour so start this before the pheasant. Soften onions and a small clove of garlic.  Add good quality chicken stock (or preferably home made) and bay leaf, star anise, 8 crushed pepper corns, thyme, a little rosemary, then reduce by half.    Add a large glug of port and a few dashes of sloe gin, some red wine vinegar and sugar until you get the correct sweetness and of course season.  Cook this right down to a thick sauce that will at least coat the back of the spoon if not a bit thicker.   This will give a lovely wintery, gamey sauce that will compliment the pheasant.

Serve with what ever takes your fancy, I used roast cubed potatoes, carrot puree and soured cabbage.