Are you game for a winter treat? Clare Latimer has just the recipe for you

For those who did not get away over the holidays I often think this is a time of the year when the batteries are a bit low. One way to charge them gently is to have just a few friends over to chat about all the ups and downs of the holiday and compare New Year resolutions. Have you made any? More importantly have you kept to them so far?
It is nearly the end of the shooting season so I have chosen to give you a delicious recipe for pheasant. At this time of year the birds are not as tender as they were in the autumn so the best way to cook them is slowly in a casserole letting them take up all the flavour of the sauce and also tenderising the flesh.
Pheasants are not too hard to find as most good butchers have them (certainly Barratts in England’s Lane, Primrose Hill, have them in stock and they charge £4 each. Call 0207 722 1131). Otherwise you can get them at farmers’ markets and some good supermarkets also have them.

Pheasant with apple and Calvados
Ingredients
(Serves Three)
One pheasant;
Two bay leaves;
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
One onion, peeled and chopped;
One large cooking apple, peeled and chopped;
One heaped tbsp flour;
50g/Two oz butter;
Half a pint of cider;
A splash of Calvados or brandy;
Two and a half fluid oz of double cream.
Garnish
One dessert apple;
A little butter ;
A little caster sugar.

Method
To joint the pheasant cut off the legs, then cut off the breasts either side of the bone and then cut off the wings.
Put the carcass into a heavy-based pan with the bay leaves, salt and pepper and the giblets, if they are included. Cover with water, bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
Then Preheat your oven to 325F/170C or gas three. Coat the pheasant pieces with flour. Heat the butter in a casserole dish, add the pheasant joints and brown evenly.
Remove and then add the onion and fry gently for about five minutes.
Add the apples and fry for a further three minutes. Over a very low heat add enough flour to absorb the juices from the pan.
Slowly stir in the cider and half a pint of the reserved stock. Stirring well bring to the boil and then put back the pheasant joints and if necessary add more stock so that the joints are just covered.
Cover with lid and cook in the oven for 45 minutes or until tender.
While this is cooking you can make the garnish. Cut the apple into quarters, remove the cores and then cut into thin slices – about four slices per quarter.
Melt the butter in a heavy-based pan, sprinkle in the sugar and then place the apple slices in the pan.
Fry gently for about three minutes or until golden brown and then gently turn them over and repeat. Remove from heat and place on a plate until ready to use.
When you remove the casserole from the oven turn the oven down to its lowest temperature.
Remove the meat from the sauce. Bring the sauce to the boil, reduce to a simmer and add the Calvados or brandy and the cream.
Check the seasoning adding more salt and pepper if necessary. Put back the pheasant joints, stir carefully and return to the warm oven until ready to serve – for no more than half and hour. Garnish with the apple slices.

Clare’s Kitchen
41 Chalcot Road
Primrose Hill
NW1
Tel: 020 7586 8433
www.clareskitchen.co.uk