I am probably preaching to the choir here, but in case you don’t know game is one of the best things you can eat. Not only can you source it for free (well, some of it), but it is also incredibly healthy. Most game is very lean, low in cholesterol, rich in protein and iron.
Most of all game is very versatile. A lot of people get trapped into thinking of game as pheasant either roasted or in casserole, of course that’s great, but it can also be fast, convenient and light food to be enjoyed whatever the weather, whenever in season.
Over the next few months, we’ll be experimenting with recipes and different cuts of meat. We’ll also be exploring the best butchery methods and offering tips for how to handle your quarry. If you have any tips or recipes that you’d like to share please email them (with images) to us: alastair@glosguncompany.co.uk
In case you hadn’t noticed IT’S PIGEON SEASON!!! We here at Gloucestershire Gun Company, when not out on a stalk, love nothing more than a good afternoons pigeon decoying on the drillings. Pigeon is a fantastic meat for this time of year when it works equally well in a rich casserole as in a fresh salad with plenty of crispy bacon for those warmer days. We’ve been trying a recipe with a bit of a difference: We always thought chocolate had its place firmly set at the end of a meal. However chocolate actually works fantastically well in many other recipes, we’ve tried it with venison but this latest recipe combines a bit of spice with chocolate and with the lighter meat from a pigeon transforms the meat - don’t believe us? Cook it and see but remember to leave us your feedback!
Cooking and Preparation time: about 45mins
Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4
Peel the parsnips and cut length ways
Par-boil in lightly salted water for 5 minutes
Drain and put in a roasting tin. Season with salt and pepper; add oil to the tin, then a bit of honey or golden syrup will really help to caramelize the parsnips. Put in the oven and set your timer for 15 minutes.
In the meantime, get your pigeon ready: For this dish the breast meat works best, so we would recommend whipping off the breasts from the birds. Keep the rest of the bird and use in a casserole.
Rub the breasts with olive oil, salt and pepper to season. Then wrap in pancetta (great for adding flavour to the meat).
Heat up a frying pan with butter and once hot, fry your pigeon for a minute or so on each side – you just want to seal the meat and get a bit of colour on there, then add cognac to flame before taking the meat out of the pan.
Place all the breasts in a parcel of greaseproof paper, then into the oven. Retain the juices from the frying pan for your sauce later. cook the meat for at least 15 mintues.
Once the parsnips have had quarter of an hour, drizzle a little balsamic vinegar over them and put them back in the oven this helps to stop them being too sweet. Continue to cook until golden and soft on the inside.
Using the juices from the pan, add a slosh of red wine then some chicken or vegetable stock and simmer. Add a pinch of dried chilli, some juniper berries, a little cinnamon, some nutmeg, a bay leaf, and a couple of cloves. Allow this to simmer and the flavours infuse, then turn up the heat and reduce down.
Add cream and simmer until you get a pouring consistency. Strain the sauce then stir in a knob of butter and a good few squares of dark chocolate (you can add more if you want to!) then check the seasoning.
Your pigeon should be nearly there, check by slicing into a breast, it should be served pink but it’s entirely up to your preference how much you want to cook it for. Spoon over any juices from the oven then leave to rest before slicing.
You’re ready to plate up! Serve your pigeon on a bed of mashed potato and some seasonal green veg with your parsnips round the edge, then drizzle your delicious sauce over it and make sure you take it to the table as you will no doubt want more!
We hope you have a go at this, alternatively if you think you’ve got the winning pigeon recipe, email it to us on alastair@glosguncompany.co.uk and we’ll put it up on the website for us all to try!
For all you anglers out there, we know you’ll be reeling in the trout during this season, so we’ve got a trout recipe that’s brilliantly simple and makes the most out of the natural flavour bursting from your catch. Even if you haven’t had the opportunity to catch it yourself, trout is a great fish to cook with, and you can buy it fresh or smoked.
Trout with lime and horseradish pea puree
-Cooking the fish takes minutes so just wash off your fish and put it to one side whilst you get the rest ready.
- Take your frozen or fresh peas and boil in salted water for about 1 minute just to defrost and get warmed up.
-Place in a blender with a few sprigs of fresh parsley and a bunch of mint, add creme fraiche, and a teaspoon of horseradish sauce.
-Whizz up until the pea mixture has gone into a puree but keep some texture, then season with salt and pepper, lime juice and a grating of nutmeg. Put to one side.
-Make a tomato salad with some nice fresh tomatoes, a few spring onions, salt and pepper and a bit of oil and balsamic, you can add any other crunchy salad bits you want.
- Using a ciabatta or similar bread, slice and rub with a bit of garlic and oil, then lightly toast under a grill.
-Now heat up a frying pan with a good knob of butter, and once sizzling place your fish skin down and get them nice and crispy. Turn over and keep frying until cooked through (whilst in the pan- season with some pepper and the rind and juice of a lime.)
-Take out your toasted ciabatta slices, and put these on a plate, put a bit of your tomato salad on top then lay the fish across this. A dollop of your pea puree on the side and a bunch of watercress to serve.
- Enjoy! It’s a nice fresh dish perfect for a spring day and takes minutes to prep and cook!
Remember if you can do better with your trout recipes or any pictures of your dishes, let us know and we’ll put you up on the website!
With Christmas being with us, roasts and casseroles are very much at the forefront of our minds. Traditional turkey for Christmas Day, or maybe something a little different?Many traditional gamebirds can be a little dry if you roast them too fast and too hot, without sufficient moisture. Use streaky bacon or pancetta to hold that moisture in, with a little butter or olive oil to trap moisture around the meat. REMEMBER to get the bird in to a HOT oven for a short period, then turn down once the outer meat has sealed! Try skewering birds all the way through with stainless steel skewers – this helps transmit heat INSIDE the bird, helping it to cook from inside – out.
Roast Pheasant and Grouse recipes