Now don't be put off! It's not as unusual as it sounds, in fact, this recipe is absolutely delicious, so I urge you to give it a try, I'm using an Italian cheese, Sottocenere, available in all good delicatessens or online, but there are many truffle flavoured cheeses out there
"The name Sottocenere means "under ash." It is originally from Venice, Italy, and is made with cow's milk and slices of truffles, then rubbed with various herbs and spices.
Sottocenere is a very pale yellow to off-white semi-soft cheese with truffles that has a grey-brown ash rind"
Shopping list
1 reasonable sized pheasant
1 large onion
100g of Sottocenere ( or other truffled cheese)
100g of salted butter
40g of plain flour
A good splash of white wine
Method
1. Carefully insert your two forefingers under the skin of the pheasant, taking care not to tear the skin
2. Peel the onion, cut in half and insert into the pheasant cavity
3. Very carefully spread the cheese under the skin of the pheasant and over the breast, covering evenly
4. Soften the butter and spread over the outside skin of the pheasant, season well with salt and pepper
5. Carefully wrap your pheasant in tin foil, allow to stand at room temperature to allow the truffle flavour to spread
6. Heat your oven to 220c
7. Place your pheasant onto a baking tray and roast for 40 minutes
8. Take the pheasant from the foil and place to one side
9. Add a splash of white wine to the juices and thicken with the flour
10. Season the sauce to taste
11. Carefully carve your pheasant and serve with a pasta of your choice coated in the thickened cooking juices