Ingredients

• 55ml/2fl oz olive oil
• 1kg/2lb chicken wings
• 2 shallots
• peeled and finely sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• 75ml/2½fl oz Madeira
• 75ml/2½fl oz white wine
• 1.5 litres/2 pints chicken stock
• 1 cauliflower
• broken into florets
• 55g/2oz butter
• 2 shallots
• peeled and finely sliced
• 4 tbsp double cream
• 1 garlic bulb
• cut in half
• olive oil
• for drizzling
• 4 pheasant breasts
• fresh thyme sprigs

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
• To make the sauce
• heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the chicken wings and cook over a high heat until coloured all over.
• Pour off the excess oil and add the shallots and bay leaves and cook for two minutes.
• Add the Madeira and white wine
• bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half.
• Add the stock and bring back to the simmer for 1 hour
• regularly skimming off any surface scum.
• Strain the sauce into a clean pan
• return to the heat
• bring back to the boil and skim again.
• To make the cauliflower purée
• chop the cauliflower florets into small pieces.
• Melt a little butter in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the shallots and cauliflower and sweat until soft but not coloured.
• Transfer the mixture to a food processor. Blend the mixture while adding the cream slowly
• until a smooth purée is formed.
• Place the purée in a small pan and keep warm.
• Meanwhile
• place the garlic bulb halves cut-side down in an ovenproof non-stick frying pan. Drizzle over a little olive oil and place over a medium heat until the garlic begins to colour.
• Transfer to a hot oven and roast for 8-10 minutes.
• Meanwhile
• heat an ovenproof frying pan. Add the pheasant breasts
• flesh-side down and cook for one minute
• or golden brown. Turn the pheasant breasts over and transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 5-6 minutes
• or until cooked through. Remove the pheasant from the oven and leave to rest for 3-4 minutes.
• To serve
• slice each pheasant breast and place on four individual serving plates. Garnish with the thyme sprigs and serve with the sauce
• cauliflower purée and roast garlic.