Exquisite Slow-Cook Wild Game Birds

With Fragrant Duxelle and Sweet Potato Mash

Serves 4
 
Preparation time: 25 minutes
 
Cooking time: 5 hours
 
Equipment: slow-cooker, Instant Pot, crock pot, or pan with lid (oven safe)
 
Recipe:
 
1400 g Sweet Potatoes (about 2 x 700 g each)
1 litre Chicken (or Duck, or Veal) Bone Broth
800 g mixed Game Birds breasts (diced, chunks – Pheasant, Partridge, Grouse, Wood Pigeon, etc.)
700 g Portobello (or any other) Mushrooms
450 g Red Onions (brunoised)
10 Garlic cloves
2 heaped tbsp Tomato Paste
3 tbsp Herbes de Provence
2 tbsp Truffle Oil (optional)
1 tbsp Pomegranate Molasses or Balsamic Vinegar
1 tbsp Coconut Oil
Salt
Pepper
 
1. Melt 300 g of brunoised onions and 6 cloves of garlic (either whole, slightly crushed, or roughly sliced) until translucent, with a bit of coconut oil, over low heat and lid on, together with 2 tablespoons of the Herbes de Provence.
 
2. Set oven on 150˚c
 
3. Increase heat to high and add the game breasts. Colour on every side until nicely golden-brown. Stir repeatedly to prevent the bottom of the pan burning. Season and add the tomato paste. Stir well until caramelised (not burnt) and each piece of breast is evenly coated.
Deglaze with the Molasses and add the hot bone broth. Bring to boil and place in oven with lid on. Reduce temperature to 100˚c. Leave to cook for 5–6 hours. Check liquid half way through and top up if necessary. Best to make the day before for flavour to settle and the meat to be even more tender.
 
4. Place the sweet potatoes whole, unpeeled, on a lined oven tray with mixed dried herbs and little rock salt. Bake in the oven at 150˚c for 45 minutes. You can also wrap them in aluminium if you prefer.
 
5. Brush-clean the mushrooms and place in the food processor. Blitz until evenly chopped, to about the size of grains of rock salt (not liquidised). Melt the remaining onions and the puréed 4 garlic cloves in a little coconut oil and stir in the prepared mushrooms. Keep stirring until the mushrooms start releasing their juice. Season with salt and pepper, and a bit of Herbes of Provence for more flavour. Cover with lid and let to simmer gently over low heat. Once, all liquid has evaporated keep stirring with a wooden spoon, until the mushroom mix start sticking to the bottom of the pan (the mix should remain a bit humid, not wet or dry).
 
6. If you have cooked the game the day before, reheat very gently until hot. If it has just finished cooking, then let the stew rest for a minimum of 25 minutes before serving.
Cut the sweet potatoes into halves, cutting lengthwise, and spoon out the flesh. Plate each half and the stew. Make a quenelle or spoon the Duxelle on top of the game. Sprinkle some flat-leaf parsley and serve. If you want to make the dish even more sensational, drizzle the mushroom mix with truffle oil just before serving.