- 1 lemon
- A handful of sage, leaves only
- 1 garlic clove
- 45g butter
- 2 wild pheasant breasts
- 30g plain flour
- 1 egg
- 50g breadcrumbs
- 250g potatoes
- 1 swede
- 500ml full cream milk
- 25g pine nuts
- 3 leeks
- 2 tbsp honey
- 50g peppery salad mix
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1.
Heat your oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4. Zest the lemon. Chop the sage leaves. Peel and grate the garlic. Add them to the bowl with half the butter and mash together with salt and pepper. Roll into 2 cylinders. Cut a wide, deep pocket in the thickest part of each pheasant breast. Stuff a butter cylinder into each pocket, pushing it in as far as possible. Press the edges together to close them.
- 2.
Tip the flour onto a plate. Crack the egg into a shallow bowl and beat with plenty of seasoning. Scatter the breadcrumbs onto a third plate. Dip the pheasant breasts in the flour and roll to coat them. Place each into the beaten egg and turn to coat. Roll in the breadcrumbs. Place on a plate in the fridge for 10 mins while you prepare the veg.
- 3.
Peel and chop the potatoes into 2cm chunks. Do the same with the swede, but slightly smaller chunks. Place in a large pan and cover with the milk. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 mins till the veg is tender.
- 4.
Place a dry pan on a medium heat. Toast the pine nuts for 2-3 mins, shaking the pan. Tip into a bowl.
- 5.
Trim, halve, rinse and finely slice the leeks. Place the pan back on the heat. Add ½ tbsp oil and the leeks with a pinch of seasoning. Stir and fry for 4-5 mins till softened. Place in a bowl and set aside.
- 6.
Wipe the frying pan and place it back on the heat. Drizzle in 1 tbsp olive oil. Place the pheasant breasts into the hot oil and fry for 2 mins each side till the breadcrumbs are golden.
- 7.
Lift the pheasant breasts out and pop on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Slide into the oven for 8 mins. There should be no trace of pink when you cut into them. While the breasts are in the oven, make the dressing for the salad. Juice the lemon into a bowl. Whisk in 2 tbsp honey and ½ tbsp oil.
- 8.
Drain the potatoes and swede, keeping the cooking milk. Mash the veg. Clapshot is typically chunky, but mash it as smooth as you like. Add the leeks, remaining butter and a splash of the cooking milk till you get the consistency you want. Taste and season.
- 9.
Place a pheasant breast on each plate. Add a good spoonful of the clapshot. Pile the salad leaves on the side, drizzle over the dressing and scatter over the pine nuts. Serve straight away.