Poached Breast of Pheasant, Mushroom and Shallot Couscous

This week’s recipe has been prepared by Ian McNaught, Head Chef of the Roman Camp Country House & Restaurant situated in the heart of the Trossachs National Park. This traditional Highland retreat on the banks of the River Teith is ideal for a romantic getaway and a fabulous wedding venue too. The historic and idyllic building and 20 acres of secluded gardens are perfect for wedding photos, and for the ceremony itself. The restaurant itself has been recommended by the AA as one of the top twenty eateries in Scotland and has been awarded the Three AA Rosette Award for their restaurant dining. The menus at the restaurant are prepared from locally sourced seasonal ingredients and guests can choose from a host of different menus including a la carte, five course tasting, afternoon tea or vegetarian menus.

Ingredients

8 Shallots

1 litre fresh Chicken Stock

500g Mixed Mushrooms

200g Couscous

4 Pheasant Breasts

Salt & Pepper to season

Olive Oil

Red Wine Vinegar

Peel and slice the shallots, place in a pan with a little of the chicken stock and cook for 5 minutes.

In another pot, put remaining chicken stock on and bring to the boil.

Trim and chop the mushrooms, set aside the trimmings for later. Put the chopped mushrooms into the pan with the shallots and cook for a further 5 minutes. Place the couscous into a large bowl and add the mushroom and shallot mixture. Into the bowl, pour over 400 ml of the boiling chicken stock and leave for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally with a fork.

Season the Pheasant breasts and place them into the remainder of the stock together with the mushroom trimmings. Poach gently for seven to twelve minutes, remove from the stock and keep warm.

Take the stock left in the pan and reduce down to about 100-150 ml worth of liquid. Pass this through a sieve to remove the mushroom trimmings. Add a little olive oil and red wine vinegar to create a warm vinaigrette sauce and check seasoning. This reduced stock should now be of a sauce consistency.

To Serve

Check the couscous for seasoning and place onto heated plates. Top with Pheasant Breasts, spoon reduction of chicken stock artfully around the plate and serve.

Hints & Tips

Do not substitute shallots for normal onions as shallots give a sweeter taste.