It's always sad to see the summer months disappear but as a chef I'm always quite excited about heading into the autumn months and I welcome the seasonal changes with ingredients.

There are many varieties of game available at this time of year as well as root vegetables, chestnuts, walnuts and many more.

This dish is a celebration of pheasant and walnuts all served with my favourite accompaniment…mashed potato. Pheasant isn't widely talked about for some unknown reason and is often regarded as cheap and tough. However, there is plenty around and if you cook it properly it really is a lovely meat with a great flavour.

Mashed potato complements the pheasant perfectly. It's a fantastic side to include because you can make it your own by adding lots of different ingredients to it. Anything from herbs, root vegetables like swede, carrots or celeriac or all of them if you're feeling adventurous. Any addition will only enhance the flavour. Please feel free to add anything you like to this mashed potato recipe, after all that's what cooking is all about.

Bon Appétit.

Ragout de Faisan aux noix avec Purée de pomme de terre

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 pheasants, cut into 4 pieces
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 bouquet garni
100g plain flour
100g duck fat
400ml dry white wine
200ml double cream or crème fraiche
150g fresh walnuts, shelled
125ml chicken stock (you can use water if you don't have chicken stock)
800g/1kg pink fur potatoes (Carol's heritage potatoes) 
A handful of freshly chopped parsley
1 large tbsp. butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

Method

1.      To begin, roll the pheasant pieces in flour and season with salt and pepper.

2.      Heat the duck fat in a thick-bottomed casserole dish until piping hot. Add the pheasant and seal until all sides turn golden.

3.      Add the carrot, onion and crushed garlic and sweat them gently for a few minutes.

4.      Get rid of any excess fat in the pan and pour in the white wine. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and reduce the wine by half.

5.      Add the chicken stock and bouquet garni and cook on a low heat for 45 minutes - 1 hour or until the pheasant is cooked through and tender.

6.      Meanwhile, peel and wash your potatoes. Place them in a large pot and cover with cold water. Season the water and bring to a boil as quickly as possible. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook until the potatoes are ready. Drain and crush the potatoes using a fork and add the butter and season to taste. Keep warm until it's time to serve.

7.      Once the pheasant is cooked remove it from the pot and pass your sauce through a sieve. Put the sauce back onto the heat and start to reduce it again. Pour in the cream and add the walnuts. Put the pheasant back into the sauce and heat everything together until the sauce coats the meat. Taste and if needed season again.

8.      Serve alongside the prepared mash with a sprinkle of chopped parsley over the dish.