Game

Pheasant is a delicious game bird if carefully cooked, but it often ends up a little on the dry side. Combining it with some fatty bacon is a great way to remedy that. The luscious prunes add a third enriching element….

This recipe is so simple, it should be a standard for all burgers. It works particularly well with pigeon as the sweet smokiness of the bacon offsets the richness of the iron-y red pigeon meat very well indeed, but it is almost as good with wild duck breasts or venison….

Morellos are sour cherries, a bit too tart to eat raw but excellent in cooked dishes. Their July season is short and they’re not easy to buy, so grab them if you get the chance. Your best bet may be to finagle some from a friend’s garden (the morellos we use are all homegrown). You can also buy them frozen – these will work well in this recipe, but they release a lot of juice so you may not want to dish it all up. Taken from the Channel 4 series, River Cottage to the Core. Photo: Simon Wheeler….

This is as seasonal as food gets. In late summer, when the grains are being harvested, pigeons take the opportunity to help themselves to whatever the combine harvester leaves behind. At the same time, chanterelles are popping up in the woods and the hedgerows are groaning with blackberries. Lunch is looking good. This recipe also works well with duck breasts….

There’s a lovely, sophisticated interplay of flavours and textures here – pigeon is gamey and lean, Puy lentils nutty and earthy, the sorrel sauce sharp but silky and rich. Together, they make an elegant trio, ideal for a special dinner….

This makes for a hearty breakfast, when the day’s activities call for a little more than tea and toast to sustain body and soul until lunchtime. It’s also a good opportunity to introduce yourself to a spot of simple curing. Curing in its most basic form is the removal of water from meat via the process of osmosis, by applying salt and sugar to the meat. Pigeon breasts can be treated in the same way….

Partridge is a delicious little bird – ideal for those who don’t like their game too gamey. It’s particularly good enhanced with a hint of fruity sweetness. We like it when pears and partridges come together in the festive season, and luscious dried pears work brilliantly here too….

Pheasant has a slight tendency to dryness but pot-roasting it like this, with plenty of rich chorizo to provide a little fat and extra flavour, ensures a very satisfying result. The butter beans are a fine addition: they soak up all the flavours of the meat, wine and herbs and then you can mash them deliciously into the juices on your plate. If you prefer, you can joint the pheasants and brown the individual pieces rather than the whole birds. This recipe works brilliantly for a couple of jointed rabbits, too….

This incredibly simple take on carpaccio, which looks amazing and tastes fantastic, is a glorious way to use venison. We like to serve it as a starter for a winter feast – you could even bring it out for Christmas dinner….