How to cook pheasant
Discussion
New one for me - although I'm pretty adept at picking up anything and knocking up some kind of edible meal - I'm not entirely sure how to deal with this one.
It's locally sourced, hung and prepared - so all I need to do is cook it.
Current plan is to spatchcock, get some colour into it in a hot pan, then oven roast for 30-40 minutes.
Any better ideas?
It's locally sourced, hung and prepared - so all I need to do is cook it.
Current plan is to spatchcock, get some colour into it in a hot pan, then oven roast for 30-40 minutes.
Any better ideas?
I had roast pheasant the other night and have just eaten pheasant rissoles with the remaining meat.
I stick 1/2 an apple into the opening ( cloaca sp?) and layer the other 1/2 sliced in 6 or so slices as the base. Roast at 180 for 45 mins ( for average size bird), then out to rest for 10 mins. Mash the apple in the juices and make a gravy of it.
Serve with roast pots and seasonal veg (eg brocolli and carrots).
Leftover meat can be used to make rissoles.
Dice an onion and fry until soft, set aside to cool. Mince the remaining meat in a processor, put mince in a mixing bowl.
1 or 2 slices of bread ( depending on how much meat is left and how many rissoles you want to make) whizzed in the processor to make breadcrumbs. Then add the chilled cooked diced onion. Whizz together.
Add the bread and onion mix to the pheasant mince. stir in. Add the white of an egg ( to bind) and stir in.
Make into rissole sized balls ( usually makes 4-6) and dust with flour.
Fry the rissoles in olive oil. Add leftover gravy from previous roast dinner and let the rissoles soak in the gravy.
Serve with mash pots and veg.
I stick 1/2 an apple into the opening ( cloaca sp?) and layer the other 1/2 sliced in 6 or so slices as the base. Roast at 180 for 45 mins ( for average size bird), then out to rest for 10 mins. Mash the apple in the juices and make a gravy of it.
Serve with roast pots and seasonal veg (eg brocolli and carrots).
Leftover meat can be used to make rissoles.
Dice an onion and fry until soft, set aside to cool. Mince the remaining meat in a processor, put mince in a mixing bowl.
1 or 2 slices of bread ( depending on how much meat is left and how many rissoles you want to make) whizzed in the processor to make breadcrumbs. Then add the chilled cooked diced onion. Whizz together.
Add the bread and onion mix to the pheasant mince. stir in. Add the white of an egg ( to bind) and stir in.
Make into rissole sized balls ( usually makes 4-6) and dust with flour.
Fry the rissoles in olive oil. Add leftover gravy from previous roast dinner and let the rissoles soak in the gravy.
Serve with mash pots and veg.
Trabi601 said:
Condor - that sounds like a great way to roast the pheasant. There won't be any leftovers - just enough for 2 people, I think.
Forgot to add, you roast the bird on it's breast - so the breast stays moist.A breast each is fine - there will be meat in the legs, which is what I use to make the rissoles.
I would de-breast and joint the bird (leaving the skin on), casserole the legs and pan fry the breasts in butter.
The 'drumstick' of pheasant are full of bony spurs, so watch out for those. I tend to bone these out and give the meat to our (very appreciative) cats.
Pheasant is a dry meat and hence takes a creamy curry sauce very well. Something like a slow-cooked korma would be ideal.
However if you have a whole bird, already plucked, it would be shame not to try roasting it whole, if only to confirm that you should have casseroled it. ;-)
I will try the tandoori treatment at some point. I think this would work given a long marinade and very hot/fast cooking.
The 'drumstick' of pheasant are full of bony spurs, so watch out for those. I tend to bone these out and give the meat to our (very appreciative) cats.
Pheasant is a dry meat and hence takes a creamy curry sauce very well. Something like a slow-cooked korma would be ideal.
However if you have a whole bird, already plucked, it would be shame not to try roasting it whole, if only to confirm that you should have casseroled it. ;-)
I will try the tandoori treatment at some point. I think this would work given a long marinade and very hot/fast cooking.
Edited by Mobile Chicane on Sunday 12th February 14:17
I shoot a lot of pheasant in season, and only really eat the breasts - cooked very rare, on a buttered pan. Sliced very thin they are fantastic with just about any side dish.
Do you know how long they have been hung for?
My grandfather used to hang them until the bodies dropped off the heads, but that is VERY gamey tasting. A few days in a cold room is just right for me.
Old recipes suggested not to eat them until they were covered with maggots - not for me, thanks!
Do you know how long they have been hung for?
My grandfather used to hang them until the bodies dropped off the heads, but that is VERY gamey tasting. A few days in a cold room is just right for me.
Old recipes suggested not to eat them until they were covered with maggots - not for me, thanks!
Season finished end of last month so will be an oldish bird
I'd be inclined to pot roast with butter veg and some alcohol to form the base of a sauce
Red wine
Cider and cream
White wine and chorizo
All make nice sauces
I get loads of pheasant throughout he season as I shoot. I tend to skin the birds and portion the meat for stews and curries (much better than chicken) retaining the breasts that aren't too shot up for quick cooking - batted out and breadcrumbed is nice.
I'd be inclined to pot roast with butter veg and some alcohol to form the base of a sauce
Red wine
Cider and cream
White wine and chorizo
All make nice sauces
I get loads of pheasant throughout he season as I shoot. I tend to skin the birds and portion the meat for stews and curries (much better than chicken) retaining the breasts that aren't too shot up for quick cooking - batted out and breadcrumbed is nice.
I did a pot roast last time. IIRC a bbc good food recipe.
Pot roast in cider and bacon on a bed of apples and onion. Rest the birds after cooking and stir cabbage and creme in the reduced cider/onion/cooking juices.
Still got a brace in the freezer and will be cooking them like this again.
Pot roast in cider and bacon on a bed of apples and onion. Rest the birds after cooking and stir cabbage and creme in the reduced cider/onion/cooking juices.
Still got a brace in the freezer and will be cooking them like this again.
When I've got time, I like to joinvt the birds and slowly braise the legs with veg in red wine & chicken stock. When they are cooked, I take the meat off the bones (this can be a bit of a faff), strain the cooking liquid and reduce then add the leg meat & use to make little individual pheasant cottage pies.
Then just season & pan-fry the breasts or wrap in fatty streaky bacon and roast. Either way, you need to be very careful not to overcook as the meat will dry out. Serve the breast sliced like you would a duck breast and serve with the cottage pie and some veg.
And a nice bottle of cotes du rhone, of course
Then just season & pan-fry the breasts or wrap in fatty streaky bacon and roast. Either way, you need to be very careful not to overcook as the meat will dry out. Serve the breast sliced like you would a duck breast and serve with the cottage pie and some veg.
And a nice bottle of cotes du rhone, of course
Edited by Bradgate on Sunday 12th February 19:59
Just had it.
Spatchcocked, fried in butter, then finished in the oven for half an hour. Served with roast root veg. / spuds.
Cut up a red onion and smashed some garlic cloves and roasted with the pheasant, also roasted the backbone - once removed from the pan, I added chicken stock, Worcester sauce, cranberry jelly and a bit of cornflower to make a gravy.
Breasts were slightly pink and still fairly tender.
Very tasty, very cheap, Sunday roast.
Spatchcocked, fried in butter, then finished in the oven for half an hour. Served with roast root veg. / spuds.
Cut up a red onion and smashed some garlic cloves and roasted with the pheasant, also roasted the backbone - once removed from the pan, I added chicken stock, Worcester sauce, cranberry jelly and a bit of cornflower to make a gravy.
Breasts were slightly pink and still fairly tender.
Very tasty, very cheap, Sunday roast.
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