Ingredients

• 450g/1lb minced pheasant meat
• 50g/1¾oz oats
• 8g salt
• 8g white pepper
• 6 sprigs thyme
• leaves picked and chopped
• 4 sage leaves
• chopped
• 1 free-range egg
• 1 dash white wine
• 1 pack wonton pastry squares
• 1 tbsp cornflour mixed with cold water to make a thin paste
• 250g/9oz butter
• 2 kabocha or acorn squash
• peeled and chopped into small cubes
• 1 large banana shallot
• chopped
• 1 garlic clove
• chopped
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 500ml/18fl oz water or vegetable stock
• 1 orange
• finely grated zest and juice
• 100g/3½oz pumpkin seeds
• 100ml/3½fl oz virgin pumpkin seed oil
• 1 orange

Directions

• For the dumplings
• mix all the ingredients
• except the pastry and cornflour
• together. Roll the mixture into balls weighing approximately 35g/1¼oz each.
• Lay one sheet of wonton pastry on a board and brush with the cornflour mixture. Place a pheasant ball on top and lay another pastry sheet over the top. Press down to seal and stick. Cut around the pheasant mixture using a pastry cutter to neaten the dumpling. Continue this process until you have used all the pheasant balls. Rest the dumplings in the fridge for at least an hour.
• For the broth
• heat half the butter in a large saucepan. Very gently fry the squash
• shallots and garlic until softened
• but not coloured (this will take around 20-30 minutes).
• Add the cayenne pepper
• stock or water
• remaining butter and a little salt and cook for around 10 minutes over a medium heat until tender. Add the orange zest and juice. Pour into a blender
• blitz and pass through a fine sieve. Season with salt and pepper.
• Steam the dumplings in a steamer or in a colander over a pan of boiling water for around 7–8 minutes
• or until the filling is cooked through and reads 65C on a cooking thermometer.
• Meanwhile
• toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry pan until fragrant.
• Divide the dumplings between deep
• wide bowls and spoon over the squash broth. Garnish with the toasted seeds and pumpkin seed oil. Grate some fresh orange zest over and serve immediately.