Cooking Pheasant....... surprise meal for the g/f.
Discussion
Right had enough of trawling the Internet looking for a decent, easy recipe for Pheasant. (there isn't any that aren't fiddly and don't involve apples, cider and other stuff that is too much effort)
So thought I would ask you lot for help.
I'm cooking pheasant tonight..... if the g/f ever gets back from the hospital (another thread elsewhere on here)
I have 2 whole, oven ready pheasants...
I am not prepared to spend too long quartering them, etc and as such would prefer to cook them whole...
I can go get additional supplies to go with the pheasant, but nothing too fancy and exotic as shops near me aren't the best.
I want to create a nice meal for my g/f before she flies back to France for Xmas tomorrow.
She has never eaten pheasant before and such would like to make it a pleasant experience.
Any suggestions..... please!!
Si
So thought I would ask you lot for help.
I'm cooking pheasant tonight..... if the g/f ever gets back from the hospital (another thread elsewhere on here)
I have 2 whole, oven ready pheasants...
I am not prepared to spend too long quartering them, etc and as such would prefer to cook them whole...
I can go get additional supplies to go with the pheasant, but nothing too fancy and exotic as shops near me aren't the best.
I want to create a nice meal for my g/f before she flies back to France for Xmas tomorrow.
She has never eaten pheasant before and such would like to make it a pleasant experience.
Any suggestions..... please!!
Si
We currently have about 5/6 hanging outside our back door (in SW11!)
Housemates tend to curry pheasant with sour cream and mango chutney (very nice), or just normal Indian stylee (not quite so nice). If roasting like a chicken, I find it can get quite dry, so worth pouring it's juices over it during cooking, and they have also cooked it in the oven with some water in there too. I think it's best cooked like a chicken with similar veggies. Just carve it like a normal bird.
Good luck - guessing they won't have shot in them like ours do!
Housemates tend to curry pheasant with sour cream and mango chutney (very nice), or just normal Indian stylee (not quite so nice). If roasting like a chicken, I find it can get quite dry, so worth pouring it's juices over it during cooking, and they have also cooked it in the oven with some water in there too. I think it's best cooked like a chicken with similar veggies. Just carve it like a normal bird.
Good luck - guessing they won't have shot in them like ours do!
apple up it's bottom and roast upside down - apple helps to keep it moist and makes great gravy as well 
Only bother with the breast meat - you can always use the carcass to make a stock, then use that stock to make pheasant soup
I usually cook it at 190c for between 35-45 mins depending on size.
Only bother with the breast meat - you can always use the carcass to make a stock, then use that stock to make pheasant soup I usually cook it at 190c for between 35-45 mins depending on size.
...... 
I cook game quite regularly and you have to be careful with pheasant as it's very easy to dry the meat out, particularly farmed birds and the hens. Place them breast down in an oven tray with a few glugs of white wine to keep them moist, stuff an onion up their asses, streaky bacon over their backs (helps keep the moisture in) and put them in a pre-warmed oven for around 35 minutes. You can turn them over about 10-15 minutes from the end to brown the breast. When they're cooked the flesh will still be slightly pink and you should see a little off-pink moisture when you stick the knife in. What you want to avoid is cooking them til they're white like chicken as by this point they'll be dry as a nun's xxxx.
They go great with a white wine and shallot gravy - soften finely chopped shallots in butter, add some veal stock (or chicken gravy granules if you can't get it), then a splash of white wine or the juice form the meat pan along with the water from the veg.
Ta-da!
They go great with a white wine and shallot gravy - soften finely chopped shallots in butter, add some veal stock (or chicken gravy granules if you can't get it), then a splash of white wine or the juice form the meat pan along with the water from the veg.
Ta-da!
The quick method:
If you need to defeather the birds, take off the head cut the skin along the breastbone, stand on the wings, grip the legs firmly, and pull.
Get the veg going first. Then save the stock for the pheasant carcasses before you transfer the veg to the preheated oven. The breast is the only bit eating unless you enjoy priddling about with bird carcasses on your plate, so remove these, and sear in a smoking hot skillet for 90 seconds a side before transferring to the top of the oven which already has the veg nearly ready. Roast for 10 mins and serve with the veg and a nice sauce.
Bon Appetit.
If you need to defeather the birds, take off the head cut the skin along the breastbone, stand on the wings, grip the legs firmly, and pull.
Get the veg going first. Then save the stock for the pheasant carcasses before you transfer the veg to the preheated oven. The breast is the only bit eating unless you enjoy priddling about with bird carcasses on your plate, so remove these, and sear in a smoking hot skillet for 90 seconds a side before transferring to the top of the oven which already has the veg nearly ready. Roast for 10 mins and serve with the veg and a nice sauce.
Bon Appetit.
tallbloke said:
The quick method:
If you need to defeather the birds, take off the head cut the skin along the breastbone, stand on the wings, grip the legs firmly, and pull.
Get the veg going first. Then save the stock for the pheasant carcasses before you transfer the veg to the preheated oven. The breast is the only bit eating unless you enjoy priddling about with bird carcasses on your plate, so remove these, and sear in a smoking hot skillet for 90 seconds a side before transferring to the top of the oven which already has the veg nearly ready. Roast for 10 mins and serve with the veg and a nice sauce.
Bon Appetit.
a well timed thread this as I was given two pheasant breasts last night and have never cooked them before. Once you put the breasts in the oven, are they just roasted ? or are they put in the veg stock ?.
ledger said:
Get the veg going first. Then save the stock for the pheasant carcasses before you transfer the veg to the preheated oven. T
a well timed thread this as I was given two pheasant breasts last night and have never cooked them before. Once you put the breasts in the oven, are they just roasted ? or are they put in the veg stock ?.
Just roast 'em in an open roasting tin. Make sure you sear them good to start with though, very important to keep the juices in, or it'll be as dry as described earlier
The stock and carcasses make the basis for tomorrows curry
>> Edited by tallbloke on Tuesday 20th December 19:26
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