Scottish Game | Pheasant

Game bird hunting is big business to shooting estates, annually contributing more than £60 million to the Scottish economy. Large numbers of pheasants and red-legged partridges are therefore specifically reared for sporting purposes.

A feral bird, the Common or English pheasant, as it is also known, was first introduced to Britain by the Romans. After it became extinct in the 17th century, it was re-introduced in the 1830s and is now widespread in the wild today – as well as farm raised, sometimes intensively.

Regarded as the premier upland bird (that is, they do not need to breed near water), they live in farmlands and fields with bushy cover. As numerous road kills testify, they prefer to run (unfortunately sometimes not fast enough) rather than fly. During hunting season (October to February) gun dogs are often used to find the birds, flush them out and retrieve them afterwards.

Oven-ready game is becoming common in supermarkets, but if you want more information on how long the birds have been hung, then go to a specialist dealer, farmers’ market or farm shop. The meat of wild pheasants is generally stronger tasting than farm-reared birds, but as the meat can also be tough and dry, the carcasses need to be hung for a few days to make them more tender and improve the flavour.
In earlier days, the birds would be hung by their heads until the bodies fell off which indicated they were ready for the pot, although this is probably too long now for most people’s tastes. Hang the birds in a cool, dry place away from foxes, cats or dogs who may help themselves to dinner before you do!

Hens are plumper and more tender than the colourful cocks, but being smaller, a one-pound bird will only be enough for a single serving. A male will be enough to serve two, although it should be cooked more slowly. As the legs tend to be tough, the breasts are often roasted separately, with the remainder being reserved for casseroles or sauces.