Tandoori Pheasant

  • Serves: 2-3

    Ingredients

    1 pheasant

    Marinade

    • 1 tsp rapeseed (canola) oil
    • 3 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
    • Juice of one lemon
    • 1 tbsp ground cumin
    • 1 tbsp tandoori masala
    • ½ tsp ground turmeric
    • 1 tbsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
    • 250ml plain yoghurt

    Baste

    • 3 tbsp honey
    • 3 tbsp melted ghee

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes

    Cook Time: 40 minutes

    Method

    1. Whisk the oil, two tablespoons of the garlic and ginger paste, the lemon juice and all of the ground spices together in a bowl.
    2. Apply this to the pheasant by rubbing it right into the flesh and inside the cavity. Set aside for 10 to 20 minutes.
    3. Using the same bowl, whisk the yoghurt, remaining garlic and ginger paste and the salt together until smooth.
    4. Rub this all over the pheasant inside and out. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight (the longer the better!). If marinating overnight, you can pour it all into a large freezer bag and seal it.
    5. When ready to cook, fire up the Doori and wait until the temperature has reached 230°C/450°F.
    6. Rub most of the marinade off the pheasant and skewer it by running the skewer down the back bone from the neck end. Try to weave it through the meat to make it extra secure. Place a potato at the end of the skewer to stop the pheasant sliding off.
    7. Move the coals to one side of your Doori and place the pheasant skewer on the other side. You really need to watch things as the dripping juices will probably cause the Doori to get hotter.
    8. If you find the Doori is getting too hot and can’t reduce the heat, no problem! Simply take the pheasant out and lay it across the top like a rotisserie. Turn it from time to time and it will continue cooking from the heat below. You can place the pheasant back into the Doori once it has cooled down.
    9. Regardless, it is a good idea to remove the pheasant from the Doori from time to time to let it cook on top. This will help ensure that it cooks in the centre without scorching the exterior.
    10. Continue cooking until the pheasant has reached an internal temperature of 74°C/165°F. You can do this both inside and on top of the Doori. Toward the end of cooking, whisk the melted ghee with the honey and baste the pheasant generously all over a few times.
    11. Once cooked, let the pheasant rest for 10 minutes before carving. You can eat it as is or wrap it up in a paratha or chapati.