Warren Gillen is a young man with a mission - he wants to bring high levels of gastronomy to Wexford Town. Actually he's not alone in that town, you can get fed well in a variety of places. This year he won the 'Best Leinster Restaurant' award at the Food and Wine Awards, so he's beginning to get the recognition he deserves. He's a big supporter of local artisan producers, and much of his menu reflects local produce and the changing seasons. This dish works very well, and at this time of year pheasant isn't just seasonal, it's cheap as well. It makes a great change from endless turkeys.

Cider Roast Wild Pheasant, Confit Root Vegetables, Green Pea & Sage Moussaline

Ingredients:-
2 Wild Pheasants (Local Game Dealer/Butcher)
4 Large Carrots
1 Turnip
1 Celeriac
Small Packet of Good Quality Frozen Peas
1 Bulb Garlic (Peeled)
1 Shallot (Diced)
1 Litre Cider
100ml Good Olive Oil
100gms Fresh Sage
50gms Butter
50mls Cream

Method:-
· Firstly remove the legs from the Pheasant by making an incision along the side of the leg, to remove pop out of the socket, run a knife underneath to release.

· To cook Pheasant, seal legs plus crown (breasts on bone) in hot oil until golden. Deglaze with cider, then add sage. Cover and place in a hot oven at 200°c for 20mins, then remove crowns and place legs back in oven for another 30 mins until tender.

· Now confit the root vegetables, all of which need to be cut into an even 1cm dice. Place in a wide pan with garlic, salt, pepper, 100mls olive oil & water to cover. Poach until al dente.

· Make Pea Moussaline by frying a diced shallot in butter, then add peas, sage, cream, salt & pepper then reduce by half and blend until smooth.

To Serve:-
Strain off stock from roasting tray adding more cider if needed. Fry off root vegetables to colour with shredded leg meat and gently spoon onto warm plates placing a single breast on top of vegetables. Ladle cider stock over each plate and glaze each plate with pea moussaline. Serve with buttery mashed potatoes.

La Riva, Crescent Quay, Wexford.
Tel. 053 24330