Name: Pheasant, chorizo and butter bean stew
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients: 8 skinless pheasant breasts (about 800g), cut into 3cm chunks; 2 tsp smoked paprika; 3 tbsp olive oil; 200g cooking chorizo, skin removed, sliced into rounds; 1 large onion, chopped; 1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced; 3 garlic cloves, sliced; 2 thyme sprigs; 2 bay leaves; 150ml dry white wine; 400g tin chopped tomatoes; 400ml chicken stock; 2 x 400g tins butter beans, drained and rinsed; 200g cavolo nero, stalks removed, leaves shredded; Small handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped; A large flameproof casserole, about 28cm

Pheasant, chorizo and butter bean stew

Our pheasant stew recipe is a freezable one-pot supper for six, with a smoky paprika broth, red pepper and creamy beans for cool October evenings ahead.

Dairy-freeGluten-free

Serves6

Hands-on30 min

Oven35 min

DifficultyEasy

Red, paprika-stained oil from the chorizo is the base of this pot, and it gives lean pheasant the richness it needs. The game goes in twice: browned first for colour, then returned at the end so the meat stays tender rather than stringy. For more ways with the bird this season, see our pheasant pie or braised pheasant with whisky sauce and pearl barley pilaf.

Why it’s so good: Butter beans turn creamy in the smoky tomato broth, and cavolo nero adds a dark, slightly bitter edge.

Make it easy: Ask the butcher or game dealer for skinless breasts so there is no jointing to do.

Method

Feel through the pheasant for any shot (see tips), then toss with 1 tsp of the paprika and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in the casserole over a high heat and brown the pheasant in two batches for 2-3 minutes until golden outside but still pink in the middle. Lift onto a plate.

Lower the heat to medium, add the remaining oil and the chorizo and fry for 3-4 minutes until the red oil runs and the edges crisp. Add the onion and pepper and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft. Stir in the garlic, thyme, bay and the remaining paprika and cook for 1 minute.

Pour in the wine and bubble for 2-3 minutes until reduced by half, scraping up the sticky bits from the base. Add the tomatoes and stock, bring to the boil, then partly cover and simmer for 20 minutes until slightly thickened.

Stir in the butter beans and cavolo nero and simmer for 5 minutes. Return the pheasant and its juices and simmer gently for 8-10 minutes until the meat is cooked through with no pink in the middle and the cavolo nero is tender.

Fish out the thyme stalks and bay leaves, season to taste and scatter with the parsley. Serve in warm bowls.

Per serving (Serves 6)

Calories

540kcals

Fat

25g (7g saturated)

Protein

48g

Carbohydrates

26g (10g sugars)

Fibre

Salt

1.9g

Quick wins, tips & make ahead

Shot pheasant can carry small pieces of lead or steel, so feel through the meat as you cut it and warn everyone at the table to take care.

The stew freezes well for up to 3 months. Cool it quickly, freeze in portions, defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat gently until steaming hot throughout, adding a splash of water if it has thickened.

For gluten-free diners, check the labels on the chorizo and stock. Serve with crusty bread, or gluten-free bread, for the broth.

Boneless chicken thighs, cut into chunks, can replace the pheasant; brown them in the same way and give them 15 minutes in the stew at the end.