Roast Pheasant with Cobnut Butter

Ingredients:

2 pheasants, plucked and cleaned
4 rashers streaky bacon (unsmoked)
110g cobnuts, shelled
110g butter, softened
200ml port wine

Method:

Place the cobnuts on a roasting tray and lightly roast for about 15 minutes in an oven. Allow to cool then grind in a coffee grinder or a food processor. Soften the butter in a bowl then add the cobnuts and stir to combine thoroughly. Use this cobnut butter to stuff under the breast skin of the pheasants.

Cover the pheasants with 2 rashers of bacon apiece then place in a roasting tin. Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 200°C and roast for about 30 minutes, or until the breasts of the birds are cooked through.

Remove from the heat then set aside to rest for 10 minutes before carving. Serve with cobnut stuffing. Whilst the birds are resting, place the pan on the hob and when hot add the port wine and deglaze the pan. Stir-in any remaining cobnut butter and serve as a sauce with the birds.