Pheasant Rillettes

My Mum's visits at this time of year are generally accompanied by a brace of pheasants. Whilst this is great (I am all for a free meal), the freezer quickly fills up and I'm left wondering what to do with the things (it's even worse if they haven't been dressed).

This cooking method is a French classic that is more commonly made with pork or duck (much like it's cousin, the confit), though it's not unusual to use rabbit. Using a dryer meat like rabbit or pheasant though you have to borrow something else's fat.

Eat spread on a warm crusty baguette accompanied by some gherkins to cut through the grease.

• 2 filleted pheasants (4 breasts, 4 legs)
• 250g pork belly cut into thick slices
• 300g goose or duck fat
• 3 fat garlic cloves
• 20 juniper berries
• 2 bay leaves
• 100ml white wine

Bash the garlic and juniper berries into a paste with a couple of hefty pinches of salt and rub all over the meat. Leave to marinade over night.

The next day, get a deep, heavy based frying pan hot, add a tablespoon of goose or duck fat and brown the meat in batches.

Turn the heat right down and layer the meat tightly in the pan with the bay leaves, then glop the fat on top. Finally, add the wine and enough water to cover.

Pop a lid on and leave on a very low heat for 4 hours. The liquid should barely be trembling.

After the 4 hours is up the water will have evaporated off. Leave till cool enough to handle, then shred the pheasant meat into a bowl with 2 forks.

Season with salt and pepper, bearing in mind it's going to be fairly salty from the marinade. You might also want to add a bit of the liquid from the pan (juice and fat) to adjust the consistency.