Pheasant and Chestnut Păté

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Put the pheasant in a moderately hot oven 200°C (400°F/gas mark 6) for 15 minutes, then leave to cool. Cut the meat off the bones and chop it finely by hand.
2. Mix the chopped pheasant with the minced meat and add the garlic, salt, peppercorns and juniper berries which you have crushed roughly in a mortar. Put aside for the flavours to develop while you prepare the chestnuts.
3. Shell the chestnuts and put the nuts in a small pan with stock, and cook for 8 minutes till tender. Drain and cool. Chop them roughly when they have cooled and add to the meat mixture. Mix thoroughly and add the brandy and wine.
4. Check the seasoning by frying a tiny ball of the mixture in butter and adjust if necessary. It should be quite highly seasoned.
5. Decorate two oven proof dishes or moulds with the strips of bacon and divide the mixture between the two. Cook them in a preheated moderate oven 160°C (325°F/gas mark 3) in a baking tin half filled with water, uncovered, for 1Ľ to 1˝ hours. When cooked, the păté would have shrunk away from the sides of the dishes. Leave to cool for a couple of hours, then weight with some kitchen weights, heavy tins etc. The next day, store in the refrigerator, where they will keep for a week, or months, if they have a completely air tight seal of melted butter poured over them.
6. To serve, remove the butter and turn the pătés out onto a dish with their jelly round them. Serve with toast, or home made bread.

Cooking Times and Serving Sizes

Each păté Serves: 6 to 8 People
Preparation Time: 40 Minutes Plus Cooling and Waiting Time
Cooking Time: 1ľ - 2 hours
Difficulty Level: Expert