Pheasant

[countryboy]

Well, what a pair of legends you two are.

I live in Somerset and see many pheasants, wonderful birds that they are.

David, I have certainly never kidded myself that the errant fox is anything other than the Terminator in a fluffly coat.

I would love it if anyone else has anything to say at all about the humble pheasant.

Be it recipes, spottings or any observations at all. I've been reading Brillat Savarin recently and he appreciates the bird more than anyone else I can think of.

LONG LIVE THE PHEASANT.

[dougal]

Hello all, as I said above, I've got a bee in my bonnet about pheasants. Anyone got anything cool I should know? A favourite recipe, facts, even, God forbid, shooting experience?

The season is from 1st October to 1st February.

[haresfur]

One of my families greatest camping meals and stories:

It was near dusk and time to look for a camp ground as my father drove along somewhere in North America. A pheasant flushed in front of the car and smacked the windshield with a thud that made everyone jump. My father stopped the car to investigate and found two dead pheasants on the road. He grabbed the warm one. I have no idea how he knew how to dress a bird - he wasn't a hunter but he managed, fried it up, and added it to the night's spaghetti sauce. A vast improvement.

[david goodfellow]

Still not seen or heard the last remaining Pheasant but last night as I went to check on my ducks I spied a fox cub on the other side of the pen sitting looking longingly at them.

I wonder what it was thinking?

I know what I was thinking as I looked at it, and as I chased the cocksure little bar steward away.

I could not help but wonder if its mum or dad had offered up fresh pheasant for a recent meal.

[countryboy]

Harefur, You're from Bendigo!

Do you know a chef called Brent Loam and his girlfriend Jody?

Edited July 6, 2010 by countryboy (log)

[bethesdabakers]

Might be out of season but you never know what’s lurking at the back of the freezer.

Favourite recipe has to be Jane Grigson’s Faison a la Normande from a battered old Sainsbury Cookbook The Cooking of Normandy.

It roughly goes: Peel and core a couple of apples and slice in wedges. Half cook them in butter with a sprinkling of cinnamon. Place in the bottom of a casserole. Brown the bird(s) then flame in calvados. Place breast side down on the apple. Deglaze the pan with cider and pour over the pheasant. Cover and place in the oven at 200C for 20 minutes. Turn the birds over and return to the oven for a further 20-25 minutes.

Remove the birds and keep warm. Sieve the juices and reduce. Bring crème fraiche to the boil and stir into the reduced sauce. Reduce again until about the consistency of apple sauce. Whisk in some butter.

While this is going on, peel another couple of apples and cook very gently in butter and cinnamon. Place decoratively on a serving dish, carve the pheasant and arrange on the dish, pouring some of the sauce over and serving the remainder separately in a jug.

A New Year’s Eve special.

[ChrisZ]

Pheasant popped up on tonight's episode of Australian Masterchef.

If you have clever internet skills and can find a way to fool the server into thinking you're in Australia, then it's episode 71.

[david goodfellow]

Well we cooked the Pheasant from the freezer on Saturday, pretty much to the above recipe of Micks, with a bit of variation.

Ours was taken from a much battered and loved cookbook "Great Dishes of The World" by Robert Carrier.

His dish is titled Normandy Pheasant and of course features Calvados, apples and double cream all of which is classic for Normandy.

My wife reminded me that this bird was one that I had picked up on the roadside, it was a cock bird and would not be as tender as a hen.

She was of course right to a degree. The breast was cooked to perfection, meltingly tender, terrific flavour and great Pheasanty aroma. The legs were however tough to cut with a knife and fork so I resorted to caveman mode and devoured it with no problem at all. Initially I thought this bird had been strutting his stuff with some vigour so his leg muscle was toned a bit, but on reflection what I shall do in future is take the legs off the bird and cook them a little differently.

We used dessert Braeburn Apples which were ok but I should plump for Bramley's next time.

Jersey Royals, steamed carrots with a bit of dill and, cabbage and petit poits were also served.

I have paid some serious money dining out and sometimes not enjoyed the food as much as this.

My wife pointed out that if we stop for a Roadkill bird again, its my turn to gut it and prep it for the table.