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"PERFECT PHEASANT" a la Mikie
Michael I. Siegel
Roasting a pheasant frequently produces an inedible dish. At best, an improperly prepared bird is dry and tasteless. Having experimented at length with numerous recipes, the following technique was developed which produces a well flavored bird that is also tender and juicy.
After field dressing, salt the cavity well and hang "in the feathers" for five days. If the temperature remains between 33o and 36o F this may be done outdoors, if not the refrigerator may be used. If this is the case, remove the head and tail feathers to allow enough room. Let your nose judge the exact time to terminate the procedure. Following the hanging period, pluck the bird ( and if you haven't, remove the head) and marinate in any good "red wine game marinade". I use bay leaves, garlic, tarragon, marjoram, juniper berries, red wine, olive oil, and red wine vinegar along with carrots, onions and celery. Allow the bird to remain in the marinade under refrigeration for 5 days, turning frequently.
Prepare a simple stuffing of cooked wild rice, sauteed shallots and
well sauteed mushrooms. Lightly stuff the bird, slip bacon slices under
the skin covering the breast and truss the bird tightly. Place slices
of
apple on the bottom of a covered cast iron roaster. Add the bird and
roast
uncovered at 425o F (Hot Oven) for 12 minutes. Cover bird with brown
paper
and place lid on roaster. Cook at moderate heat (325o F) for 50 minutes
without removing cover. Remove cover and paper and continue to cook
uncovered,
basting every 5 minutes with pan juices for 30 minutes.
ANOTHER GOOD RECIPE FOR PHEASANT: STEW
I usually have stock on hand, frozen. You will need about 8
cups. If
you use water, it doesn't turn out as nice. Anyway, if you get
fresh,
whole birds, you will have enough materials to produce the stock.
Start with two birds. They should be skinned and they can be
fresh, not
hanged.
Roast the thighs, legs and backs (wings too) in a slow oven (200)
for
about 3 hours. Beforehand, use a dry marinade overnight, of
salt, pepper,
garlic, thyme and crushed bay leaf. The thighs should be
deboned. Save,
aside the deboned breasts (2 per bird), they don't go in the
marinade.
Take the backs, wings legs and bones and cover with about 9+ cups
water.
(Save the roasted thighs and the breasts for later.)
Simmer with carrots, celery, onion (all sliced thin) plus about 5
bay
leaves, 1/4 tsp thyme and/or tarragon + marjoram, salt and
pepper. When
this is all done the dominant flavor of spices will be marjoram
and
black pepper. This can go for about 2 hours, you need about 8
cups to
remain.
Strain when finished.
Next, slice 2 carrots, 2 medium onions, 1 celery rib with leaves
and
quarter 6 medium-to-small, red potatos. Add to finished stock,
along with:
1/2 tsp each of savory, marjoram, mace, and black pepper. 1 1/2
tsp
salt, 1/2 cup white wine and 2 tsp worcestershire. Simmer 1
hour, covered.
Slice breast meat into strips and do the same for the roasted
thighs. In
a brown paper bag, mix plenty of flour, salt, pepper and paprika.
Shake
all the meat in the bag, and then brown quickly over high heat
in butter + a
little olive oil. Add to the stew, and cook an additional 45
minutes.
Before it's finished, check the flavor and add more marjoram
and/or black
pepper if you need it.
Mix up your favorite dumpling recipe and add to it 3 or 4
chopped, fresh
sage leaves. 15 minutes before the stew is done, drop
tablespoons of
dumpling batter on top, cover tightly and don't remove cover,
until it's all done.
This may seem complicated, but it's a lot of fun, and many parts
can be
done in advance.
IF YOU ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE A FRESH CANADA GOOSE---TRY THIS
STUFFED GOOSE CHESTNUT
After hanging (or freezing) marinade goose in mixture of:
Thin sliced carrots and onions with red-wine, smashed juniper
berries (I use over a dozen), crushed garlic, peppercorns, salt,
parsley, bay leaf, cloves, tarragon, tarragon vinegar, and olive
oil. The longer in the marinade, the better
Prepare a forcemeat stuffing of the following:
1/2 cup each of chopped onion, celery and mushrooms sauteed in 4T
bacon drippings. Add 1# sweet pork sausage, game bird liver,
a
clove of garlic, 1/2 t thyme, 1/4 t sage( or three fresh
leaves), 1 t rosemary, 1 bayleaf, salt, and pepper. Cook.
Add 3- chopped Granny Smith apples, 1- cup unflavored croutons,
2T parsley, 1# cooked (blanched and roasted) chestnuts, 3T red
currant jelly, 1 cup game-bird stock, 1 cup dry white wine.
Wipe inside of goose with lemon and brandy.
Stuff.
Wrap with salt pork or bacon.
Cook 400 20 min, and at 325 for 2 hours covered.
If skinned, use a braising liquid of cider, sauerkraut
and
sliced apples and glaze with more jelly at end if you like.