• 2 pheasant breasts
• 2–3 tablespoons plain (all-purpose) flour
• 1 egg
• 125g (4½oz) fresh white breadcrumbs
• sunflower oil, for frying
• flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the tartare sauce

• 6–8 small gherkins, or a couple of larger ones, roughly chopped
• 2–3 teaspoons capers, drained and roughly chopped
• 4–5 tablespoons nice mayonnaise
• 2 spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced
• a handful of dill, chopped
• a handful of flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and chopped
• 1 hard-boiled egg, chopped
• lemon juice, to taste

First, make the tartare sauce. Fold the gherkins and capers into the mayonnaise with the spring onions (scallions), dill, parsley and egg. Season with salt and pepper and adjust the acidity with a dash of lemon juice, if you like. Set aside.

Use a sharp knife to slice the pheasant breasts in half across their face, giving you 4 similar-sized pieces. Season all over with salt and pepper.

Place the flour, egg and breadcrumbs in separate shallow bowls. Piece by piece, toss the pheasant in the flour to lightly coat, shaking off the excess. Then dip the floured pheasant pieces into the beaten egg, then into the breadcrumbs, making sure you coat them generously. Transfer to a plate.

Place a large pan on the heat and add about 1–2cm (½–¾in) of sunflower oil. When the oil is hot enough to effortlessly sizzle a few crumbs, gently fry the breaded pheasant in batches for 4–5 minutes on each side, depending on the size of the pieces, or until golden and cooked through. Use tongs to remove the crispy pheasant and transfer the pieces to a plate or board.

Sprinkle the crispy pheasant with a little flaky salt and serve with the tartare sauce.