Instructions: Ask the game dealer to skin and joint them for you and ask for tbe giblets for some stock.

Start off the day before by placing the joints of pheasant in a deep bowl sprinkle in the onion chopped garlic bayleaves juniper berries and salt and freshly milled black pepper between them.

Then pour over the port cover with a cloth and leave to marinate overnight.

Meanwhile make up some stock with the giblets and measure 275ml into a jug. When you are ready to cook the pheasants pre heat the oven to gas mark 4 350 degrees F Make sure you dry the pheasant pieces thoroughly with kitchen paper.

Then melt the butter in a frying pan and brown the joints on all sides before transferring them to a large flameproof casserole.

Then add the mushrooms to the casserole with the marinade and 275ml of stock and bring everything up to a gentle simmering point put a lid on and transfer to the oven for 1 to 1 l/4 hours.

After that remove the pheasant joints and mushrooms to a warm serving dish using a draining spoon to keep warm.

Then strain the sauce through a sieve into a saucepan boil it briskly to reduce it by about one third then lower the heat till the sauce is just below simmering point.

Beat the egg yolks and cream together and beat these into the sauce taste and check the seasoning and then serve the pheasant with the sauce poured over; sprinkle it with chopped parsley.

Serve with spiced red cabbage and a bottle of claret.

Serves 6

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