Pheasant Tea

Tim Pak Poy

Ingredients and Method

The tea is a natural protein clarification of Madeira and fine stock with meat juices, as opposed to an egg white fined consomme.

This is done so by firstly considering the base stock, and the best base for a broth such as this is one built on a combination of veal and fowl.

The ingredients must be of the first order and in this case we use veal breast, shank and farm reared fowl. After having roasted and simmered the veal in sweet water with aromates for 24 hours we reduce it to a flavoursome and rich stock. We then coarsely chop the fowl and pour on the veal stock and the Madeira, set it in a water bath and place it in a slow oven for a further 8 hours. This results in a gin-clear, highly aromatic broth that we finish with a little seasoned, whipped cream. A process taking 3 days, as each time you take a step the ingredients must be cold.

Obviously this is not suited to a domestic situation. Therefore I suggest as alternatives you either buy or make a classic egg white fined consomme and add good Madeira immediately prior to serving - with whipped cream thrown in if desired, or should you wish a more health-giving result, eliminate the time-consuming steps and add all the ingredients (roasted meats, aromates of your choice, spirit to your taste) with water to your pot and simmer it for as long as convenient. Pass the result through fine cheesecloth, reduce as necessary