Prosciutto-Wrapped Pheasant Meatloaf

prosciuttowrappedpheasantmeatloaf Pheasant meatloaf, wrapped in prosciutto, is not only a crowd pleaser: it’s also a good choice for both health and sustainability reasons. Good for the environment, good for us and good for the animal welfare: game is the best choice when it comes to meat. Instead of bland, waterlogged chicken of suspicious provenience, we should choose game birds: partridge, guinea fowl and pheasant. Game is the ultimate free-range meat, even in the case of maintained pheasant breeding - you will never see them in battery cages. Hunting is regulated, with pheasant shooting season running from October to January. It protects the breeding season and keeps the bird numbers in check, so they don’t ruin crops. Pheasant is also naturally leaner than chicken, with lower fat content and more protein, minerals and vitamin B. Outside of the shooting season it is widely available frozen from butchers and online meat suppliers so you can stock up the freezer all year round.

1 (14 oz) whole pheasant, deboned (400 g)
1 small onion
5 juniper berries
1 pinch ground nutmeg
3 Tbsp. breadcrumbs
1 tsp. sea salt
1 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (25 g)
2 Tbsp. cream cheese
butter, for the dish
4-5 slices prosciutto

Cut the pheasant meat and skin into chunks. Peel the onion.

Mince the meat, followed by the onion.

Grind the juniper in a spice grinder or crush in a pestle and mortar.

Add all the rest of the ingredients except prosciutto to the meat and mix well.

Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C/140°C fan, Gas Mark 3).

Lightly butter a loaf tin or a gratin dish and line it with prosciutto, so that ends overhang. Press the meat mix into the dish, compacting it with a wet spoon. Wrap the meatloaf with overhanging prosciutto, using an extra slice if necessary. Cover the dish with foil.

Bake for 40 minutes.

Take off the foil, turn the oven up to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4) and bake for further 10 minutes.

Remove meatloaf from the oven, loosely cover with the foil and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Makes 4 servings.