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Recipes How to cook pheasant

Jonners

Well-Known Member
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140
Locality
Isle of Man
With apols to vegetarians!
Pheasant season has just ended so this must wait until next year. But you can usually get a brace of pheasant from a local shoot for a nominal sum or buy them from a butcher who has a game license for about £5 (for two good sized birds) - this will feed 6 people easily and is really easy and cheap although it sounds exotic.

Preparation 20 mins (longer if you pluck birds yourself!!), cooking 2-3 hours

Pluck and gut the birds if necessary or get someone to do it:shocked: You can get them ready plucked but this costs a bit more - worth it unless you are a bit strapped for cash at the time

I'm writing this from memory so be creative!!

In a large pan brown both birds in butter - turning to brown all over.

Remove birds and fry a whole load of shallots in butter

Return birds to pan

2 Tablespoons of calvados or brandy - heat for 10 secs in a pan - light and pour over birds.

When flame out, pour on 1-2 pints of cider or apple juice and bring to boil

Add a few chopped carrots, bay leaf, seasoning and cover pan and simmer (bottom of aga if you have one) for about 2 hous or until meat really tender.

Whilse this is cooking slice a few apples, brush with melted butter and a bit of sugar and put under hot grill for a few mins to caramalise (these are put on top of meat when served)

When meat tender remove from bone - this is a bit tedious but well worth it believe me. I take bids out of juice using a slotted spoon, dismember and remove meat with a fork - then either return to juice or serve separately surrounded by veg on a large plate - looks very attractive and a nice communal way to eat

Thicken juice with whatever you have - I mix 2 tablespoons of flour with melted butter then mix in - I suppose you could use cornflour although this step is not vital as the calvados/apple juice/bay leaf is very rich - good idea to experiment with a little of the juice first

Serve with whatever - roasted root veg (carrots, beetroot, parsnip brushed with oil and put in hot oven in baking tin for about 20 mins - just keep an eye on them) and mashed pots are my favourite.

Spread caramalied apples on top of meat.

Serve with redcurrant jelly (can add this to the gravy if want but then v. v .rich).....

Hope you enjoy this bit of country fair
I do a similar thing with rabbit - let me know if you want details - it's fantastic food , nutritious, healthy and very very cheap
 
It's important to have the right music on while you're chef - suggest Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet...?
 
Sounds wonderful. I love pheasant, but don't get it often. Haven't had a chance in more than 10 years.
How long do you normally hang them for?
 
I usually just remove breasts from moderately well hung specimens, and use rest of flesh to make high quality stock (classic game stock recipes - plenty online). A mug of stock is combined with a mug of port & reduced by 50%. Saute Pheasant breasts lightly in butter, after a decent seasoning, and set aside in warm place. Add liquid mix to pan and reduce until syrupy and gradually whisk in 3oz of cold butter cut into cubes, a few cubes at a time, until glossy.
Place some sauce on each plate and place pheasant breast on top. Serve with some roast root vegetables (Parsnip, celeriac, potato,carrot etc.) and some wilted watercress.

Kind regards
Tom
 
Sounds wonderful. I love pheasant, but don't get it often. Haven't had a chance in more than 10 years.
How long do you normally hang them for?

Hang for anything up to 3 weeks when it's cold but I think 1 week is enough.

I don't know how available pheasants are in Germany but this time of year there are millions around in rural UK. I'm not sure about the legality of taking those that are killed on the road but I think it's OK as long as someone else has hit them and it's not Sunday!
I'd hate to advocate illegal activity on this forum so I just get given them by friends who are on legal shoots.
 
I usually just remove breasts from moderately well hung specimens, and use rest of flesh to make high quality stock (classic game stock recipes - plenty online).
Tom

Likewise I used to use only the breasts as it is so much quicker but was very surprised at how much meat there is on the rest of the bird when you take it off the bone.
Love the sound of your stock though and will give it a go.

Cheers
Ian
 
Lots of pheasants around here, but I've yet to see one in a raod kill, and none for sale. :-(
 
Lots of pheasants around here, but I've yet to see one in a raod kill, and none for sale. :-(
Well Kev I can only say that either the German drivers are a lot more careful or the birds more intelligent. They really have very little sense of self preservation and often try to outrun you or they do they old get-to-the-middle-of-the-road-and-double-back-on-yourself trick. Maybe our birds are particularly thick - the gene pool on the Island is quite small and maybe that applies to bird life a well
 
I think it's easier for them here, the fields are not fenced or walled, so no need to gain height in a bid for safety.

Can't get my mind around currying them, though.
 
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