Pheasant Ragu
Make the most of seasonal game and add a bit of variety to a household staple with this hearty take on a traditional ragu
Pheasant Ragu
Make the most of seasonal game and add a bit of variety to a household staple with this hearty take on a traditional ragu
- Serves: 4
- Prepare: 30 Minutes
- Cook: 4 Hours
- Difficulty: easy
WHO ARE THE ORGANIC BUTCHERY?
Starting life as an organic farm in the heart of the West Country, The Organic Butchery is proudly founded on a long history of organic principles. We source the best quality organic grass-fed and wild meats, sustainable fish and organic free-range poultry from trusted local suppliers and like-minded brands to guarantee the highest standards of animal welfare and environmental stewardship. Our mission is to approach butchery with a whole-carcass perspective, to make the most of every animal that crosses our blocks, which means we offer you cuts that you will never see on the supermarket shelves.
WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE GAME?
It’s no secret that despite living a free-range life, game is reared primarily for sport. In the west country, we are surrounded by estates that do this and so manage the eco systems that support a bounty of flora and fauna in the area. Our game is harvested by people licensed to do so and only during ‘designated’ seasons.
Ingredients
- 1 pheasant
- 250ml organic chicken bone broth
- a handful of dried organic shitake mushrooms
- 1 white onion, peeled
- 1 large carrot, peeled
- 1 celery stick
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- rapeseed oil for cooking
- 2 rashers of organic nitrate-free bacon, chopped
- ½ tsp coriander seeds
- ½ cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp of mixed herbs
- 250ml tomato passata
- 125ml glass of white wine
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
- 400g tagliatelle, cooked
Method
- Preheat the oven to 120°C
- In a large saucepan, bring the organic chicken bone broth to a simmer, add the dried shitake mushrooms and leave them to soak and swell. When the mushrooms are soft, remove from the broth and set aside
- Chop the onions, carrot and celery into small chunks, peel the garlic and crush. Into a large flameproof casserole dish, add the oil and heat over a medium-high heat. To the casserole dish add the pheasant, season with salt and pepper and brown the pheasant all over, when the pheasant has browned, removed from the pan and set aside on a plate
- To the pan add the pancetta and brown, followed by the shitake mushrooms, chopped veggies, garlic, spices and herbs. Lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes to soften the vegetables. Pour in the white wine and bubble for a minute, then add the bone broth and passata and cook for a further 10 minutes
- Return the browned pheasant to the pan, lower the heat to a simmer and cover the pan with a lid. Transfer the dish to the preheated oven and cook for 4 hours until the meat is tender and falls off the bone. Strip the meat from the bones, remove the bones and stir the tender meat through the sauce, season well
- To the cooked pheasant ragu, toss through the cooked tagliatelle and serve with a sprinkling of grated parmesan
Other recipe ideas
16/05/23 Recipe
Crispy Honey BBQ Pheasant
Rustle up a delicious 'fakeaway'
11/09/20 Recipe
Classic Roast Partridge with redcurrant gravy
Sweet partridge meat pairs well with the tartness of the redcurrant sauce.
25/11/19 Recipe
Pheasant and Spiced Apple Stew
Choose pink lady or idared apples to accompany your partridge.
WHO ARE THE ORGANIC BUTCHERY?
Starting life as an organic farm in the heart of the West Country, The Organic Butchery is proudly founded on a long history of organic principles. We source the best quality organic grass-fed and wild meats, sustainable fish and organic free-range poultry from trusted local suppliers and like-minded brands to guarantee the highest standards of animal welfare and environmental stewardship. Our mission is to approach butchery with a whole-carcass perspective, to make the most of every animal that crosses our blocks, which means we offer you cuts that you will never see on the supermarket shelves.
WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE GAME?
It’s no secret that despite living a free-range life, game is reared primarily for sport. In the west country, we are surrounded by estates that do this and so manage the eco systems that support a bounty of flora and fauna in the area. Our game is harvested by people licensed to do so and only during ‘designated’ seasons.
Frequently asked questions
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Typically, game meat is the flesh of land mammals or birds, that are hunted for food instead of being raised on a farm. Game meat includes, ‘small birds’ such as quail, ‘winged game’ such as woodcock, grouse or partridge, ‘ground game’ such as rabbit or hare and ‘large game’ such as venison.
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Most game is only available during the autumn and winter, during the shooting season, this is followed by the ‘closed season’ when shooting is no longer allowed, this is essential for protecting animals when they are breeding and rearing their young. However, some game does not have a ‘closed season’, these game meats include rabbit and pigeon. At Coombe Farm Organic we freeze our game meat, making it available to you the consumer all year round.
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Game meat is one of the healthiest meats available, it is very low in fat and cholesterol, generally higher in protein, and very lean as wild game are able to walk and roam freely, therefore not storing much fat.