How to make: Stosie Madi of the Parkers Arms' pheasant breast ballotines

Ingredients​

(Serves 24)

12 whole large pheasants in feather or ordered ready butchered as per recipe

Breast ballotines​

• 24 Skinned, boned pheasant supremes
• 24 Finely sliced strips of streaky dry-cured bacon
• 150g Thyme
• 250g Flat leaf parsley
• 1kg Unsalted butter
• 150g Blanched whole garlic
• 12 Juniper berries
• 4 Fresh bay leaves
• 300ml Oil

Leg farce​

• 1kg Minced pheasant leg meat
• 500g Minced pork
• 250g Minced pork fat
• 12 Minced pheasant hearts ​
• 100g Thyme, salt and pepper combined (use 10g per kg of meat)
• 250g Fresh crushed blackberries
• 150ml Bramble vinegar

Pastry​

• 900g Pork fat and rendered down pheasant fat
• 2 Large egg yolks
• 1kg Flour
• Water to bind

Bramble sauce​

• Pheasant bones for stock
• A good, full-bodied red wine
• Blackberries

Garnish​

• Roasted seasonal roots
• Roasted celeriac purée or potato purée
• Butter braised Savoy cabbage

Method​

For the ballotines​

• Purée 100g thyme, 200g flat leaf parsley, 1kg unsalted butter, 150g blanched whole garlic, 12 juniper berries, 4 fresh bay leaves. Shape into 24 logs to fit into breasts and refrigerate overnight.
• Blitz together 50g parsley, 50g thyme, 300ml oil.
• Butterfly the breasts and flatten gently, rub in herb oil and allow to marinate overnight.
• Season the breasts with salt and white pepper, stuff with the butter mixture and then log roll tight.
• Stretch out the streaky bacon on a board, roll the breasts in tightly and refrigerate ready for service.

For the leg pasty​

• Mix the farce ingredients together, check seasoning and adjust if necessary before allowing to sit for 24 hours.
• Assemble the pastry, chill overnight and roll out as thinly as possible.
• Weigh out 50g per pasty, stuff mixture into rolled out pastry and refrigerate.

For the bramble sauce​

• Prepare stock with bones, red wine and lots of blackberries.
• Strain and then reduce.

To serve​

• Sear breast in clarified thyme butter until golden all round and roast at 200°C for 6 to 8 minutes depending on size.
• Remove and rest for 6 to 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook pasty to order at 200°C for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown, ensuring a maximum core temperature of 64°C.
• Garnish plate with celeriac cream, Savoy cabbage and roasted root vegetables.
• Carve the ballotine, and serve with pasty and sauce.

And to drink?​

Beer sommelier Jane Peyton, founder of School of Booze, recommends pairing this dish with Northern Latitude from Fourpure brewery.

She says: “Northern Latitude is a rich, red, rye ale with tangerine and orange flavours and a spicy, bitter finish. It will complement all the flavours in this complex dish. I love this beer with a passion.”

• The Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs 2017​ will be announced on January 30.​