Pot-roast pheasant with chorizo, butter beans and parsley

This recipe comes from River Cottage's head chef, Gill Meller - it's a fantastic winter warmer which tastes even better reheated and eaten the day after you make it. Give the butter beans a full 24-hour soak before cooking - it really helps to make them tender and buttery.

Ingredients (Serves four)

200g dried butter beans
1 knob butter
3 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, peeled and finely sliced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 oven-ready pheasants
200-300g cooking chorizo, outer skin removed, flesh chopped into 2-3cm chunks
1 pig's trotter (optional)
300ml white wine
500ml chicken or game stock (or water)
1 handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Cover the beans with plenty of cold water and leave to soak for 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/gas mark 3. Place a large casserole over a medium heat; add the butter and a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onions, garlic, thyme and bay leaves. Cook for at least 10 minutes, until soft and golden, stirring regularly to prevent them over-colouring.

Meanwhile, set a large frying pan over a high heat and add two tablespoons of olive oil. Season the pheasants all over, brown on all sides for three to four minutes, then transfer to the casserole.

Add the chorizo to the frying pan, along with the pig's trotter (if using). Fry for three to four minutes to brown, then add to the casserole. Deglaze the frying pan with a little of the wine, then add to the casserole, along with the remaining wine, the stock and the drained beans. Bring the casserole up to a simmer, then cover, move to the oven and cook for two hours.

Remove the birds from the pan and set aside to rest in a warm place. Discard the pig's trotter (or save it for a midnight snack). If the chorizo has released a lot of fat, skim some off. Add the parsley and season to taste. Carve the birds and divide them between warmed plates. Spoon over the chorizo, beans and sauce, and serve with mash and/or lots of bread.