Pheasant and celery get on rather well. I sometimes put thick ribs in with the aromatics for a pot-roast bird, and have included shredded celery in a salad of cold pheasant with Little Gem lettuce and walnuts. Celery root seems to be one of the most successful mashes to serve with the mildly gamey flesh of this bird (parsnip is good, too).

　　

Ingredients

enough for 4

　　olive oil – 2 tablespoons

　　pancetta cubes – 5 ounces (150g)

　　oven-ready pheasants – 2

　　garlic – 2 cloves

　　sage leaves – 4

　　dry Marsala – 3/4 cup (200ml)

　　

For the Mash

potatoes – 4 medium to large

　　a whole head of celery root

　　butter – 4 tablespoons (50g)

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Warm the oil and the cubes of pancetta in a Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot set over medium heat. When the pancetta fat starts to color, add the pheasants and brown them lightly on all sides.

　　

Step 2

Peel the garlic cloves and slice each one in half lengthwise. Add them to the pot with the sage leaves, then pour in the Marsala. Let it come to a boil, cover the pot with a lid, and put in the oven for forty minutes. Turn the pheasants once during cooking.

　　

Step 3

To make the mash, peel the potatoes and celery root and, keeping them separate, cut them into large pieces, as you would for boiled potatoes. Put them in separate pans of cold water and bring to a boil, starting the potatoes ten minutes before the celery root. As soon as both are tender, drain them, mix the potatoes and celery root together, and mash with the butter. I do this with a potato masher, followed by a good whipping with a wooden spoon, but you could do it in a stand mixer if you don’t mind the washing up.

　　

Step 4

To serve, divide the mash among four warm plates. Lift the pheasants from the pot and put them on a chopping board. Using a heavy chef ’s knife, cut each one in half lengthwise (this sounds scary if you have never done it before, but you will find one good push should do it). Place half a bird on each pile of mash, then spoon over the hot juices and pancetta from the pan.

　　Tender