If you can’t bear another roast pheasant supper, it’s time to branch out. Game works fantastically with spice, so try Philippa Davis’ pheasant samosas. Serve as a starter to really impress your guests, or keep them as a snack to liven up the dull and dreary winter days.

For more moreish morsels from your leftover game, try our pheasant, cabbage and cheese pierogi. These Polish/Russian-inspired pastry parcels are excellent for elevenses or the point-to-point picnic.

PHEASANT SAMOSAS

You can use pheasant or partridge for the samosa recipe and using up the birds now means they won’t stay lurking in your freezer all year.

Makes 12

Dough

• 20g melted butter
• 1 tsp nigella seeds
• 160g plain flour
• ¼ tsp fine salt
• 4 tbsp water

Pheasant samosas

• 1 pheasant (or 2 partridges)
• A few sprigs of coriander
• 20g ginger, roughly chopped
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled

Samosa filling

• 2 tbsp garam masala
• 1 tsp turmeric
• Pinch of dried chilli
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 25g ginger, peeled
• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp mustard seeds
• 6 curry leaves
• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 leek, washed and finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 200g raw potato, washed and chopped into 0.5cm cubes
• 25g finely chopped coriander
• Frying oil

To serve

• 3 tbsp plain yogurt

To make the dough, mix all of the ingredients in a bowl, adding a drop more water if necessary to bring it together, knead for a couple of minutes then rest for 30 minutes.

Place the pheasant, coriander, ginger, onion and garlic in a saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Turn down and simmer for about 1 hour or until the pheasant is cooked and tender.

Remove the pheasant, keeping the liquid to drink as broth or use as stock.

When the meat is cool enough to handle strip from the bone and finely chop.

To serve, blend together in a machine the garam masala, turmeric, chilli, garlic and ginger with 4 tablespoons water until it forms a paste.

Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan on a medium heat, add the mustard seeds and curry leaves, fry for 30 seconds then add in all the vegetables and season. Fry for five minutes and then add the ginger paste.

Cook until all the vegetables are soft, stirring regularly, then add the chopped pheasant and coriander and check the seasoning. Allow to cool.

Split the dough into three and roll into large circles of about 30cm (they should be thin but not so thin the nigella seeds tear holes). Cut each circle into quarters. Place what was the centre of the circle towards you and lightly wet the curved edge.

Fold in the two furthest points to make a cone and press firmly together. Place a spoonful of pheasant mix in the pocket then lightly wet and fold over the flap to make a triangle.
Repeat with the rest of the quarters and pheasant mix.

Heat the oil and deep-fry the samosas in small batches until golden and heated through. Serve with the yogurt.