On 1 October my slow cooker resumes its place on the kitchen counter where it will spend the next few months constantly bubbling away, predominantly with pheasant stock or broth. I make mine slightly differently each time, depending on what I have to hand, but am happy to use raw or cooked carcasses for stock and love to include a few legs with the meat on for extra flavour if making a broth. After around 15 hours on low in the slow cooker, the meat will easily fall off the bone and can be added to soups, stews, curries and so on.

Additional aromatics can also be added – I like to include a few black peppercorns and fennel seeds, peeled yellow onion, garlic, a little ginger, parsley stalks and bay leaves. Once finished, the stock or broth is deeply flavourful and feels so nourishing. You can add a little seasoning to either and drink it neat or use them for risottos, stews, pies and, of course, soups.

Kale and bacon soup with pheasant stock (serves 6)

Ingredients

• 200g smoked bacon, cut into small pieces
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp salted butter
• 2 medium yellow onions, peeled and finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 4 sticks celery, finely diced
• 1/2 nutmeg, grated
• 400g potatoes, scrubbed or peeled depending on preference, cut into small bitesized chunks
• 1 1/2 litres pheasant stock
• 180g kale, destalked and shredded
• To serve Crème fraîche

Method

1. In a heavy-based pan on a medium heat sauté half the bacon in the oil until crispy, then remove and set aside.
2. To the same pan add the remaining bacon, along with the butter, onions, garlic, celery and nutmeg. Season and, stirring often, sauté until softened and lightly browned.
3. Add the potatoes and stock, bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are just soft. Add the kale and cook for a few minutes until tender. Check the seasoning.
4. Serve hot with a dollop of crème fraîche and the reserved crispy bacon sprinkled on top.