Masterchef: the Professionals star Lisa Goodwin-Allen shares her top tips for cooking game

Sure, summer is (really) hard to let go of but at least autumn food goes some way towards softening the blow.

There are blackberry crumbles, cheesy squash risotto and game roasts complete with bread sauce, so thick the spoon stands straight up, which are just a few reasons to feel cheerful about the change in seasons.

Who better to advise us on how to make the most of autumn’s bounty than Lisa Goodwin-Allen, one of the UK’s most celebrated chefs.

As well as regularly gracing our screens as a judge on Masterchef: The Professionals and the Great British Menu, Lisa Goodwin-Allen is executive chef at Northcote – a landmark of British dining based in Lancashire’s Ribble Valley – which has held a Michelin star since 1996.

Now for first time, Londoners can taste her food without leaving the city.

As of September, Allen is working collaboratively with chef Jozef Rogulski at The Game Bird, an elegant fine diner tucked away in St James’s The Stafford hotel.

As at Northcote, her new menus will combine top-drawer British produce with her trademark playfulness.

We can’t wait to try dishes like Dover sole with potted shrimps, butter-poached native lobster and baked Alaska.

Here, Lisa shares her top tips for getting the most out of wild meat, as well as her favourite seasonal recipe. Let the games begin...

Lisa’s top tips for cooking with game

1. Food is always about the quality of the ingredients but never more so than when choosing game.

The game season is always in autumn, but different meats are at their peak in different months, so do your research first.

If you buy it locally from an independent supplier or butcher, game is about the most sustainable meat option out there.

2. Venison has a lovely deep, luxurious flavour but it’s actually very low in fat.

A great way to finish cooking it is to dust it with icing sugar, then frying it in a hot pan to get a lovely, caramelised crust.

3. I love pheasant legs and they roast well, but for an alternative, ask your butcher to mince them and make a delicious, rich bolognese.

Recipe: Roast breast and pot roast thigh of pheasant, pearl barley casserole with soft herbs

Feeds: 4

For the roast pheasant breast:

1 whole pheasant, approx. 1kg

25ml olive oil

20g butter

Method: Remove the legs from the pheasant or ask your butcher to do this for you.

Keep the legs to one side for pot roasting later.

Salt the pheasant crown, then heat the olive oil in a medium sized frying pan.

Carefully sear the pheasant crown on both breast sides until you get an even golden colour.

Add the butter and place the pheasant into the oven at 190°c for about 20 minutes.

Once done, remove from the oven, pour over the cooking liquid and leave to cool on a wire rack for at least five minutes.

Carefully remove the breasts from the crown and cut them in half to create two equal portions from each breast.

For the pot roast pheasant thigh:

2 pheasant legs

1 lemon, zest

1tsp salt

1 clove garlic

Method: Separate the thighs from the drumsticks and place on a plate, skin side down.

Evenly rub each one with the lemon zest and garlic, then season with salt.

To cook, see next stage.

Pearl Barley Casserole Ingredients:

100g pearl barley

80g onion, finely diced

80g celeriac, finely diced

80g carrot, finely diced

2 cloves of garlic, finely diced

100g pancetta, diced

350g chicken stock

200g dry white wine

20g Worcestershire sauce

2tbsp mixed chopped soft herbs (think chervil, parsley, chives)

Method: In a medium casserole pan, sweat down the onion and pancetta for about a minute.

Add the garlic, diced veg and barley and sweat for a further two minutes, until the mixture starts to caramelise slightly on the bottom.

Add the white wine and reduce by ¾, then place the legs on top, skin side up.

Add the chicken stock and Worcestershire sauce, bring to the boil, then place a lid on top and put in the oven at 180˚c.

After 20 minutes, remove the lid from the pan and turn up the oven to 220˚c for the final 10 minutes, in order to crisp up the skin.

Once done, remove the legs from the casserole and stir in the chopped soft herbs.

To Serve: Place a good spoonful of the barley casserole into a bowl, add the pheasant thigh and top with the sliced pheasant breast. Serve immediately.