Ingredients

• 15g/½oz butter
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 2 pheasants
• plucked
• gutted and ready to cook
• 1 onion
• chopped
• 3 garlic cloves
• sliced
• 500g/1lb 2oz carrots
• cut into batons
• 4 sprigs fresh tarragon
• 150ml/5fl oz dry Riesling wine
• 100ml/3½fl oz double cream
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 200-250ml/7-9floz milk
• 1-2 generous pinches saffron
• 1.2kg/2lb 11oz large baking potatoes
• baked until cooked through
• 45g/1½oz butter
• 180g/6½oz sweetcorn
• cooked
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• For the pot roast
• place a flameproof casserole large enough to take the pheasants and all the carrots over a high heat. Add the butter and the oil and melt together.
• Add the pheasant and fry
• turning regularly
• until golden-brown all over
• then remove from the casserole and set aside.
• Reduce the heat
• then stir the onion and garlic into the fat and fry gently for 3-4 minutes
• or until tender.
• Add the carrots and tarragon and stir around for 4-5 minutes
• then return the pheasant to the pot
• nestling it breast-side down in among the carrots.
• Pour over the Riesling and season
• to taste
• with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Bring up to the boil
• then cover with a tight-fitting lid. Turn the heat down low and leave to cook gently for one hour
• turning the pheasants over after 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile
• for the mash
• place the milk into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat
• add the saffron and set aside to infuse.
• Cut the baked potatoes in half and scoop the flesh out into a clean saucepan. Add the butter and salt
• to taste
• and place over a low heat.
• Gradually add the saffron milk
• mashing continuously. Stop and assess the texture - if you prefer your mash softer and runnier then add more milk.
• Add the sweetcorn and season
• to taste
• with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• To finish the pot roast
• check that the pheasant is tender and cooked through
• then lift out onto a serving plate and keep warm.
• Add the cream to the casserole and simmer for two minutes. Season
• to taste
• with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Spoon the sauce around the pheasants and serve the mash alongside.