Pheasant Recipe

[frawin]

This is my favorite for cooking Pheasant, Quail, Chukar, Prairie Chicken, etc.  I think the combination of mushroom soup, wine, and milk take the wild taste out, and also help to make it tender.  I also think that wild game takes a little more salt than domestic birds/meat. 

I brown them (almost sear) them in hot canola oil after they have been dipped in flour with salt and pepper.  I then transfer them to a baking dish and add mushroom soup, cooking wine and milk and a little more salt and pepper.  Bake the birds at 300 until tender.  Check and make sure that you have added enough milk to have gravy, as I serve this over rice. 

The thing about wild birds, especially larger birds, is that you don't know if you have an old one or a young one, especially if the feet have been taken off before you get it in the kitchen.  That's why I usually bake them in some form. 

I fixed chukkar this way over the weekend and they were yummy!

You can use any wine that you wish, some of the flavor will transfer to the meat, but the alcohol will evaporate.  We often put wine on turkeys as they are cooking, especiially the fruity wines.

Myrna

[Joanna]

Okay!  I'm off to the store to get some cooking wine ~ or fruit wine of some kind.  I only have a bottle of Elderberry here that Marty wouldn't want me to use.  Thanks Myrna!  I wanted to use this pheasant before it gets freezer burned, and sounds like this will go great with rice and maybe some of the green beans I'm working on!

[frawin]

Joanna, that one is one of my favorites, I am going to post some others this morning.
Myrna

[Diane Amberg]

Tell me about the feet? How do the feet tell you the age of the bird?

[frawin]

Tell me about the feet? How do the feet tell you the age of the bird?

Diane, it is the size of the spurs. Also there is a school of thought that the beak will tell you if it is an old bird or a young bird, hold the bird  out by the lower part of the beak, if it snaps it is a young bird, if it doesn't it is an old bird with a brittle beak. I have seen  others and I have tried the beak test several times and I think it really is a good indicator, especially on Pheasant and Prairie Chicken. I want to add that I think Prairie Chicken is by far the worst meat and worst eating of all gamebirds.

[Diane Amberg]

Thanks Frank. I just learned something.

[frawin]

Thanks Frank. I just learned something.

Diane I consider it a good day when I learn something, good or bad.

[frawin]

This is a recipe from one of the places Frank and the boys hunted in Texas.   

[flo]

OMG  - how forgettful of me  - of course you need wine to cook pheasant.  Usually by the time you've finished the 2nd or 3rd glass the pheasant is done and ready for the table. 

[Teresa]

Flo.. I cook my pheasant like you do.. Brown ... and put in the oven with a bit of water..
Tender and melt in your mouth.