Cooking pheasant.

What's Hot
WezVWezV Frets: 16543
The butchers down the road had a load hanging outside so I couldn’t resist getting some.  I did opt for dresses birds, out of laziness

I am thinking I want to fry up some bacon and onions, Brown the birds in the pan and put it all in the slowcooker for the afternoon with some cider.

I have never cooked them before, any good suggestions?
0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
«1

Comments

  • KilgoreKilgore Frets: 8599
    Pan fry, then roast.
    Serve with fondant potatoes, parsnip puree, red wine and raspberry jus, pickled beetroot and raspberry gel.






    I've been watching too much Masterchef.
    1reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • chillidoggychillidoggy Frets: 17136

    I've never found any pheasant at the food bank, so sorry, I can't help.


    5reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • JezWyndJezWynd Frets: 6021
    Swap the cider with red wine.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • SassafrasSassafras Frets: 30273
    I'd be more concerned about which wine to have with it.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Yes but you wouldn't want it cooked in cider if you were going to drink any kind of wine with it
    "Working" software has only unobserved bugs. (Parroty Error: Pieces of Nine! Pieces of Nine!)
    Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • mgawmgaw Frets: 5239
    poach them first gently until nearly cooked, take out pat dry then roast to give good colour finishing the cook...rest for 20mins and serve.....french call this excellent cooking method poche grillee and use it for their birds init
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • Pheasant stew or some form of slow cooking is better than roast pheasant I think.
    i always end up making it quite dry if I roast it.
    I used to get quite a lot from the shoot that was local. Back in my farming days
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • mgawmgaw Frets: 5239
    it only goes dry because you are overcooking it use the above pochee grillee method to avoid unseemly dryness
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • mgawmgaw Frets: 5239
    i am the most qualified to comment as well so there!
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • mgaw said:
    poach them first gently until nearly cooked, take out pat dry then roast to give good colour finishing the cook...rest for 20mins and serve.....french call this excellent cooking method poche grillee and use it for their birds init
    Sounds like a great way to cook them.

    I used to get a brace every so often from my uncle who used to go shooting and, in his later years when he couldn't shoulder his gun properly, beating with the local shoot.  Sadly, he passed away a couple of years ago so the only pheasants I see now are the ones I try to avoid running over on the way home.

    Actually, considering we are currently in open season I'm surprised I've not seen more about.  The valley where they go shooting is normally overrun at this time of year.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • WezVWezV Frets: 16543
    Yes but you wouldn't want it cooked in cider if you were going to drink any kind of wine with it
    I’m more likely to be drinking beer or cider than wine with it.  Not that I don’t like wine, but the right beer can work just as well.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • WezV said:
    Yes but you wouldn't want it cooked in cider if you were going to drink any kind of wine with it
    ... Not that I don’t like wine, but the right beer can work just as well.
    true :)
    "Working" software has only unobserved bugs. (Parroty Error: Pieces of Nine! Pieces of Nine!)
    Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • BRISTOL86BRISTOL86 Frets: 1920
    JezWynd said:
    Swap the cider with red wine.
    My missus went mental when I cooked a pheasant inside her. 
    1reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • No-one fancy their bird spit roasted then? For birds that have been shot, is there a way to avoid eating lead shot? I recall chomping on some lead last time my granny was gifted a brace.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • RockerRocker Frets: 4944
    Pheasant cooked in Red wine, wood pigeon cooked in cider. Cook it slowly but not in a slo cooker. Chicken looks and tastes bland after eating pheasant or wood pigeon.
    Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. [Albert Einstein]

    Nil Satis Nisi Optimum

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • WezVWezV Frets: 16543
    mgaw said:
    poach them first gently until nearly cooked, take out pat dry then roast to give good colour finishing the cook...rest for 20mins and serve.....french call this excellent cooking method poche grillee and use it for their birds init
    That sounds like a plan.  I was concerned about dryness.  I think I will poach in a good stock and then make a sauce with that after poaching... I like to do onion gravy as if I was making a French onion soup.  I think that could work here

    I saw a recipe for pheasant in cider which is why I went that way first.  I have plenty of cider so may use some in the stock.

    i have some streaky bacon from the same place which is pretty special.  2 rashers fills a sandwich.  It’s quite a strong smoke on it though, so it can over power other flavours.  

    i also have 2 varieties of my home made bacon.  One lightly smoked, one garlic and herb.  The second might be the most sensible option.



    sorry for the dadsnet style post, sometimes I spend too long thinking about dinner


    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • mgawmgaw Frets: 5239
    careful with the bacon, quince jelly is a superb addition to a pheasant dish, either on the side or tirred into a good gravy.

    regarding the gravy, heres what i would

    use the legs, detach fron bird leaving breasts intsct on the bone i.e. the crown..this is what we will poach.

    finely chop raw legs
    brown in hot pan 
    add finely cubed carrot, onion, garlic, celery thyme and bayleaf
    cook the veg with the legmeat until lightly browned
    add wine? a medium glassd full   reduce until it has coated the veg and legs, add another glass and repeat then add stock from poaching to cover by 1 inch and cook for say 20 mins, taste, if nice balance between booze and bird flavours set aside to infuse

    to finish sauce, pass through a fine sieve pressing HARD to extract all juice from bones etc

    reduce until lightly coats back of spoon, fuinish by adding spoonful of quince jelly until it tastes nicely sweet, not too much but to taste, whisk in good knob of butter add salt and pepper to taste serve
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • give it a good going over for shot, if it has been shot. no better way to chip crack teeth than biting into lead grit.
    i am the hired assassin... the specialist. i introduce myself to you... i'm a sadist.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • I had pheasant casserole + roast potatoes + peas in my local tonight. Excellent scran !
    "Working" software has only unobserved bugs. (Parroty Error: Pieces of Nine! Pieces of Nine!)
    Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
Sign In or Register to comment.