Instructions: Take two large freezer bags and put one inside the other.

Mix the orange juice honey soy sauce worcestershire sauce and paprika and put with the pheasants into the inner bag. Marinate for about 24 hours in the fridge.

Stand the pheasants skin side up on a sheet of foil in the small roasting tin. Reserve the marinade.

Hang the tin on the top set of runners in the roasting oven and roast for 45 minutes covering the breasts with foil when they are brown after about 15 minutes.

Lift the pheasants out and allow to rest in the simmering oven while you make the gravy.

Make the reserved marinade up to 300ml with the stock.

Slake the cornflour with 2 tablespoons of marinade and stock and pour back into the marinade with the port.

Remove the foil from the roasting tin tipping any juice back into the roasting tin and pour in the marinade liquid. Return the roasting tin to the floor of the roasting oven for about 3 to 4 minutes whisking a couple of times until bubbling.

Carve each breast off the carcass and cut into about 5 to 7 slices.

Arrange on each plate garnish with a bouquet of fresh herbs and serve with the gravy and scarlet confit.

For this recipe I roast the pheasants and serve only the breast meat. The next day I make a casserole of the legs (as for loch rannoch venison). Scarlet confit (qv) is a perfect accompaniment.

Serves 4

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