Cooking alla brace over a wood or charcoal fire is popular in central and southern Italy, and so the wood fire at our Tuscan holiday house was often lit for the evening meal. The wood imparted a delicious smoky flavour and an alluring perfume, so good that all we needed as accompaniments were a big salad and fresh bread; easy summer eating.

Too much barbecued food isn’t good for us; research indicates that potential carcinogens (substances that can cause cancer) are present in the burnt parts of char-grilled foods. But since the barbecue isn’t out that often in this country, that doesn’t stop me enjoying this way of cooking.

Duck, grouse, and even venison work well (if young) on a wood fire so, as the grouse season has just started (albeit quietly because of disease and bad weather), think about getting the wood ready. At home, I occasionally treat myself to game because, despite its reputation for being rich, it can be a lean and low-fat way to incorporate protein into the diet.

Fillet of venison is low in fat and high in protein, as are guinea fowl and rabbit. Pheasant is higher in fat than some other game birds, but lean duck meat isn’t as high in fat as many people believe, containing no more fat than lamb. (Don’t eat the skin; even crispy duck skin is very high in fat.) Try some venison sausages, grilled and sliced diagonally. Serve on top of warmed baked beans, with wholegrain toast and a smidge of Dijon mustard — wonderful comfort food for a night in.

Venison contains iron, so it’s a good choice if you are low in iron or have a poor iron intake. Low-iron status is common in women, especially those suffering from heavy periods, which can lead to iron-deficiency anaemia.

There is some confusion among women about how well our bodies digest meat. Some women stay away from red meat because they think that it’s hard to digest and makes their gut feel sluggish — indeed, the bowels can be explosive the following morning if you have eaten red meat for the first time in ages. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that you haven’t absorbed any beneficial iron from the meat.

Iron is present in lots of other foods: eggs, beans and pulses, and green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, curly kale and purple sprouting broccoli. However, the form in which the iron is present (non-haem iron) is different from its form in red meat (haem iron). The latter is absorbed easily by the body, non-haem iron is not, which makes being a vegetarian tricky at times. But you can boost the absorption of non-haem iron by including some vitamin C in the same meal.

I’d advise against iron supplements, unless your doctor has advised them. High iron intake has been linked to an increased risk of colorectal cancer, and iron supplements increase free radicals (which are the nasties) in the colon.

Italian pheasant

This recipe is inspired by Claudia Roden’s The Food of Italy (Steerforth Press), which always comes to Tuscany with us. (Serves 4)

2 tbsp virgin olive oil
4oz lean back bacon, chopped into small pieces
2 pheasants, roughly 1kg each, including their livers
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
A few fresh sage leaves
150g pitted black olives
250ml red wine, such as a chianti
Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper
50ml brandy
3-4 tbsp chopped flat-leaved parsley

Pre-heat the oven to 170C/325F/gas mark 3. Fry the bacon in the oil in a flame-proof casserole for about 5 minutes until golden and add the pheasants, slowly turning in the bacon until they turn golden. You might need to add a little more oil to stop them sticking. Add the onion and garlic and cook for another 3-4 minutes until the onions start to caramelise. Remove from the heat and pop the pheasant livers, sage and half the olives into the cavity of the pheasants. Pour over the wine, season with a little salt and a lot of pepper, put the lid on the casserole and place in the oven for about an hour until the birds are tender.

To serve, cut the pheasants in half, add the brandy and remaining olives to the casserole, and heat through on the hob. Throw in the parsley just before serving.

Jane answers your questions in T2 on Tuesdays; e-mail Jane.Clarke@thetimes.co.uk and visit www.janeclarke.com. She cannot enter into personal correspondence

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