Pheasant Plucker

DorsetDude

DorsetDude

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For the first time ever, apart from maybe a piece tucked away in a game pie, Im having pheasant tonight. Pheasant breast to be precise. Something in the back of my mind told me that red cabbage was a traditional accompaniment for it so I got some of that too.
I'll probably just have the pheasant, cabbage and boiled spuds and oxo chicken gravy but wondered if there were other more interesting/traditional ways of serving it?
Cheers!
 
I like it roasted:

rubbed with a little garlic, some butter, some fresh onion and some redcurrants and sealed in a good roasting tray with quality aluminium foil. Take foil off for last 30 minutes or so.
 
In a stew with bacon, herbs, root vegetables and wine ;)

Pheasant great on its own can be dry unless you're sympathic cooking it
 
Throw it in the bin, horrible stuff.
Used to get loads given to me every year, hate the taste
 
Byker28i said:
WHAT? you haven't had them cooked properly then, with a good sauce. Lovely
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I have and I used to have to pluck and gut them and had a freezer full for visitors. who thought
they were a luxury
Living in the community I always have, I can honestly say the only game meat I like is venison,
the rest I can't stand
 
Grease a good sized baking tin with butter and grind in some black pepper and a little salt.
Rub garlic on each breast and wrap each in a large rasher of back bacon,
Roast slowly in the oven at about el. 200 for 90 minutes (don't know gas equivalent, sorry).
After 45 mins. add a couple of good quality chipolatas per breast.
After another 15 mins. add some peeled, cored and blanched parsnips to the tin.
Serve with homemade bread sauce, savoy cabbage, mashed potatoes and gravy.
Optional : Yorkshire pudding.
Accompaniments: Either English mustard or redcurrant jelly (or both).
Serve with a bottle of good Burgundy per person.
 
If you saute (fry) the breast don't cook it for too long. It needs to be just cooked and no more. It's very lean so will dry out very quickly if it's overcooked. It lends itself to robustly flavoured sauces and as with all game goes well with fruit, so an apple, plum or a dark berry sauce. Or stuff with a strongly flavoured cheese (a creamy Stilton is good), wrap in bacon and bake. One I'm going to try at the weekend - poach the pheasant in stock, cook some pasta and put in a heatproof dish, lay the pheasant on top then top with double cream laced with lots of grated parmesan and flash under a hot grill to just brown the topping a bit. Or casserole with lots of bacon, shallot, mushrooms and a good red wine.
 
Mag1cp2x said:
Grease a good sized baking tin with butter and grind in some black pepper and a little salt.
Rub garlic on each breast and wrap each in a large rasher of back bacon,
Roast slowly in the oven at about el. 200 for 90 minutes (don't know gas equivalent, sorry).
After 45 mins. add a couple of good quality chipolatas per breast.
After another 15 mins. add some peeled, cored and blanched parsnips to the tin.
Serve with homemade bread sauce, savoy cabbage, mashed potatoes and gravy.
Optional : Yorkshire pudding.
Accompaniments: Either English mustard or redcurrant jelly (or both).
Serve with a bottle of good Burgundy per person.
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That sounds good to me - however, as a garlic lover I might throw a couple more cloves in about 15-20 minutes before the end so that they can soften and release some flavour - then just squeeze the puree out and eat.
Mmm.

The wine idea gets my approval too..
 
If you don’t like it “neat” it’s great in pâté or pies where the potential dryness is offset by pork.
 
These were only two thin breasts in a blister pack. Fried em for about 7 minutes in butter and oil. Didnt seem to have a lot of taste really. Chicken breast definitely more tasty than these were. I'll have to try a whole bitrd with one of the recipes above.
Cheers all.
 
DorsetDude said:
These were only two thin breasts in a blister pack. Fried em for about 7 minutes in butter and oil. Didnt seem to have a lot of taste really. Chicken breast definitely more tasty than these were. I'll have to try a whole bitrd with one of the recipes above.
Cheers all.
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I've had pheasant a la RTA (but not the Pebble Mill at 1 variety) a few times, and they should have quite a strong and distinctive flavour. Maybe these breasts came from a bird fed on poor quality feed?
 
If bought from a reputable butcher they shouldn't be 'thin', although they will of course be a lot smaller than a chicken breast, and they should be tasty. From a supermarket they're probably straight off the game cart into the blister pack without being hung first and won't taste of anything.
 
DorsetDude said:
These were only two thin breasts in a blister pack. Fried em for about 7 minutes in butter and oil. Didnt seem to have a lot of taste really. Chicken breast definitely more tasty than these were. I'll have to try a whole bitrd with one of the recipes above.
Cheers all.
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How long did you hang em for? :whistle:
 
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