Few game birds are as beautiful and well tasting as the as the Ring-necked Pheasant. Key when cooking is to keep the meat moist with the help of added fat and/or liquid in the form of apples, prunes, lemon and so forth.

Get cooking!

Bon Appetit!

Grilled Pheasant Leg with Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Dill and Yogurt

Serves 4

• 4 Pheasant legs

• 1 small savoy cabbage

• ½ lb brussels sprouts

• 1 bunch dill

• ½ C strained yogurt

• Salt, pepper, oil 

Season legs with salt and pepper, grill over embers for a very long time (this process is similar to the confit process but dry and not allowing the temp of the grill to raise above 250F)  roughly 2 hours, basting the legs with fat (either duck fat or olive oil) every 15 minutes to ensure it doesn’t dry out.  This will be worth it because the leg is too tough to cook quickly and the smoky slow-cooked flavor will do wonders if you are patient.

Trim any bruised or wilted leaves from the brussels sprouts, also trim some nice looking outer leaves to use as a raw garnish and textural foil for the vegetables.  Also clean and cut the outer leaves of the savoy cabbage, cutting the leaves into bite sized pieces that will be blanched in rolling boiling heavily salted water.  Half the brussels sprouts and sear them cut side down in a fair amount of fat, seasoning with salt and pepper, then basting with butter once the cut side takes good caramelization.  While both are still hot, serve with dollops of the yogurt, raw leaves, and sprigs of picked dill.

Embered Root Vegetables with Whole Roasted Pheasant on Pine

Serves 4

One whole pheasant

3 gala or wild fermented apples

1/4C apple juice

1 lg red beet

3 large leeks

1 rutabaga

1 kohlrabi

1 lg turnip

1/4c honey

1 pine branch (cut to use only the boughs from either a white pine or spruce)

Salt, oil, pepper

Clean and feather the bird, then rub the skin and cavity with salt and ground black pepper.  Fill the cavity with either chopped fresh apples, or in this case, wild apples found on the branch in late December when they have frozen and thawed so many times they are tender, sour (from fermentation), and sweet (from the freezing process).  Tie and truss the bird to ensure even cooking.  Over an open campfire place a cast iron pot until oil smokes when added, then carefully sear the bird as evenly and thoroughly as possible.  Remove from the heat and remove the bird and add the pine branches and a bit of apple juice.  Nestle the bird on top of the branches and cover the pot with a lid, put back on the fire and stoke the embers to be able to hold the pot with an internal temp of 375F for about an hour (or until you can puncture the leg of the bird at the cavity and the juice runs clear instead of red).  In a pinch an oven at 375 will work.

Clean the tops off of all the vegetables, throw onto the embers and rotate burning the outside of each one and checking the tenderness of each vegetable… The process of doneness should be as follows: Turnips and Kohlrabi will finish first (maybe 20 minutes) followed by leeks (make sure they are very tender) then ultimately beets and rutabaga (cook until soft but not dried out by the embers.  Trim away all of the completely charred flesh and you will be left with sweet smoky veg.  Chop and mix the veggies, then in another pan, caramelize the honey, add the remaining apple juice, adjust with acid, then glaze the veggies. Serve the bird on top of the root veg and discard the pine branches (they are only for perfume and to elevate the bird so it doesn’t burn in the pot).  Carve and enjoy!!

Celery Root Remoulade and Pheasant Leg Rillete on Honey Bread

Serves 4

For the Remoulade:

1 whole celery root

1 whole tart apple (granny smith)

Small bunch chives

¾ cup strained cultured cream

Lemon juice to taste, salt to taste, and whole grain mustard to taste

Peel and dice both the celery root and apple to a similar size, cut chives into fine rounds.  Season with lemon juice and salt, mix together and add cultured cream until a desired spoonable texture is achieved.  

For the Rillete

4 pheasant legs (or two chicken legs)

1 Litre quality olive oil (or neutral flavored oil)

1 whole head garlic, 

10 sprigs of thyme

3 fresh bay leaves

Kosher salt to season and cure, 1 whole lemon to zest/juice

Salt the raw legs (skin off) lightly and let cure for at least 1 hour.  Rinse, then cover in oil with the garlic thyme, and bay included.  Bring to a simmer and hold at that temp until falling off the bone tender (around 2 hours).  Cool the legs and herbs in the fat in a bain over ice, don’t mix any liquid additionally to the fat.  When cold, pick the meat from the bone and discard the bones.  Chop the meat and season to taste with additional salt if necessary.  Soon onto toast and top with a little fresh lemon juice and zest.

For the Bread:

 2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45

degrees C)

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup vegetable oil

5 cups all-purpose flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add honey, and stir well. Mix in whole wheat flour, salt, and vegetable oil. Work all-purpose flour in gradually. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for at least 10 to 15 minutes. When dough is smooth and elastic, place it in a well oiled bowl. Turn it several times in the bowl to coat the surface of the dough, and cover with a damp cloth. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.Punch down the dough. Shape into two loaves, and place into two well greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise until dough is 1 to 1 1/2 inches above pans.Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes.When cool, slice into manageable pieces for toast.