Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 165g/5¾oz butter
• 1 whole pheasant
• jointed
• 1 onion
• finely chopped
• 1 cinnamon stick
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• pinch saffron
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 150g/5½oz quinoa
• rinsed
• 1 tbsp sultanas
• 5 dried prunes
• stones removed and soaked
• 5 dried apricots
• soaked and chopped
• 2 tbsp dried sour cherries
• soaked
• 1 tbsp pomegranate seeds
• 2 tbsp dried cranberries
• soaked
• 2 tbsp chopped walnuts
• 2 tbsp chopped almonds
• 2 tbsp chopped pistachios
• 200ml/7fl oz chicken stock (or just enough to cover the base)
• 2 tbsp finely chopped flatleaf parsley

Directions

• Heat the oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a casserole dish. Fry the pheasant pieces until browned on all sides (don't crowd the pan – if necessary
• fry the meat in batches). Remove the pheasant from the pan and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
• Add the rest of the butter to the dish and then add the onion
• cinnamon
• cardamom
• saffron and tomato purée. Cook for 5 minutes or until the onion is slightly softened. Add the quinoa
• fruits and nuts and stir to combine.
• Add the pheasant back to the dish and pour in the stock – add just enough stock to cover the base of the dish with a depth of 1cm/½in.
• Cover and simmer very gently for 20 minutes or until the quinoa is cooked and all of the stock has been absorbed. Check that the pheasant is cooked through.
• Stir through the parsley and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.