Roasted Pheasant with Mushroom Ravioli and Truffle Cream Veloute

METHOD

Gently fry the garlic and mushrooms together in a little olive oil, with the herbs until soft and cooked. Add seasoning, and the red wine and cook to reduce. Remove the herbs and then add the Parmesan. Stir well. Set aside until ready to make the ravioli.

Pour the flour into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Crack the eggs into the well and then use a fork to at first beat them together and only once beaten should you try to start pulling the flour in from the outside. Slowly incorporate more and more of the flour from the surrounding bowl and once it comes together in a shaggy pile tip it out onto a clean surface to knead. Knead for about 10 minutes until you have a smooth and elastic ball. If in doubt at first, just keep kneading and you will get there. Cover the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least half an hour. Remove from the fridge and turn the dough through a pasta machine to create thin sheets. Place small mounds of the filling onto one sheet ad top each mound with a thin slice of truffle. Then, place a second sheet over, only cutting into rounds once the edges are sealed with beaten egg. Store dusted in flour and covered until ready to cook. To cook, bring a large pan of water to a boil and drop in the ravioli for three minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon. 

Make the truffle cream by sweating the shallot and the add the wine. Reduce to a third and add the creme fraiche. Heat to reduce and thicken. Pour in the truffle oil and then pour through a fine mesh sieve. Set aside. 

Preheat your oven to 200c/400f/gas 6.

Take the pheasant and place them in a roasting dish. Rub each one all over with the butter and then stuff with the halved red onions and herbs, put two rashers of bacon over the breasts of each, season well and then pour the wine into the pan before roasting for around 35-45 minutes (size depending). Once cooked, rest for 10 minutes under foil and then serve with the pan juices.

Serve the roasted pheasant with the ravioli (although the ravioli could work on its own as a starter).  Drizzle the ravioli with the truffle cream sauce and a good grating of Parmesan, followed by a grating of black truffle. The aroma will be amazing.