WILD PHEASANT WITH MUSHROOM AND WINE SAUCE

To all my foodie friends, here is a great recipe. My friend Stanley Scarpati brought me over two beautiful pheasants and said to me, cook them. The recipe I came up with was excellent. I am posting the recipe hoping that you try this one. If you cant get wild birds it best but farm grown is good also. Buy good wine for the sauce, it will make a difference. The recipe uses about 1/2 a bottle and the rest makes a great pairing with the meal.

Please try it

Chef Frank

Ingredients

• 2 Whole skinless legs and skinless breast of Pheasant., 2 of each-legs and breast.

• 4 Tablespoons butter-divided

• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive Oil

• 3/4 Cup whole pearl onions, Or 1/2 diced yellow onions

• 5 cloves garlic, minced

• 5 or 6 whole Shiitake mushrooms , roughly cut

• 1 pint Crimini mushrooms (Or white), Sliced

• 1/2 oz. about 1/2 Cup volume wt. Dried Lobster Homard mushrooms or 5 fresh Chantrell, chopped or sliced

• 1 oz. about 1/2 Cup dried Porcini Mushrooms, chopped

• 1 Cup White wine (I used Sauvignon blanc)

• 1 Cup chicken broth

• 1/3 Cup fresh curly leaf parsley , finely chopped

• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch 2 Tablespoons water

• 2 Tablespoons Water

• 1 tsp. salt , as needed to rub the meat

• 1 tsp. pepper, as needed to rub the meat

Instructions

1. Prepare the Pheasant:

2. Cut the bird from neck to bottom or it’s ribs(AVOID cutting into the bowel or stomach). Pull the skin apart.

3. Cut off the breasts (breast out the bird).

4. Cut off the skin around the leg from hip joint. Remove the legs at the hip joint. Remove remaining feathers from breasts and legs. Rinse and pat dry.

5. Preheat a Dutch oven (OR cast iron combo skillet or other heavy bottom skillet) on your stove to medium heat.

6. salt and pepper all sides of the meat.

7. Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil

8. Add 2 Tablespoons butter and stir until melted.

9. Put in the pheasant legs first and sear two minutes on each sides. After one minute add the Pheasant breasts. WATCH them. It’s easy to overcook the breasts. Just sear until lightly brown but NOT cooked. (about 2 or three minutes) Scrape pan and stir in the bits.

10. Remove the pheasant from pan and set aside.

11. Add the remaining butter. When butter is melted add in the mushrooms. Stir occasionally and cook 5 minutes, covered, until partially cooked.

12. Add onions and garlic. Stir together with partially cooked mushrooms.

13. Turn the heat to high and Add the wine. Reduce the wine by half.

14. Reduce heat to medium high.

15. Add chicken broth, breasts and legs and cover them.

16. Reduce heat to simmer. Cook 30 minutes until pheasant is done. (Check a leg 185F)

17. Add the cornstarch mixture and cook until the sauce thickens.

18. Add fresh parsley until wilted.

19. Serve from the pot.