Pheasant with prosciutto braised in Chianti

This is the first dish I make once the pheasant-shooting season has started. Everyone in the family loves it, and it has become a symbol for the arrival of autumn. I prefer to use hen pheasants for this dish, since they are slightly juicier than the cock birds, but of course both are good.

What you will need:

• 2 pheasants, preferably hen birds
• 6 slices of Parma ham
• 10 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 1 sprig of sage
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• ½ a bottle of Chianti
• 125 ml whipped cream
• 75 g unsalted butter
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Season the pheasants with pepper and a little salt. Then, wrap Parma ham around the pheasants and secure with butcher's twine.

Melt the butter in a pan large enough to hold both pheasants. Brown the pheasants on all sides and set aside. Pour the butter from the pan and add 2 tbsp. olive oil. Add all 10 cloves of garlic and the herbs to the pan. Return the pheasants to the pan and add red wine to cover a third of the birds. Put the lid on and let it simmer on a low heat for 35-40 minutes. Turn the birds a quarter of a turn every 10 minutes, adding more red wine as you go if needed.

Remove the birds from the pan and remove the butcher's twine. Open up between the breast and thigh and check if the birds are done. They must be pink, but not raw. When the birds are cooked, let them rest.


The sauce:

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Turn the heat up to medium and add the cream. Let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes and season with salt and pepper. Halve the pheasants and return them to the pan. Let the pheasants warm through for an additional 5 minutes.

Plating:

Serve with mashed potatoes and braised spinach.