| The
Pleasance of Pheasant by Pierre-Luc Moeys In
Greek Mythology, Jason of the Argonauts discovered pheasant on his quest
for the Golden Fleece, and brought them to Greece, where it was given
its name “phasionus ornis,” meaning “bird from the Phasis River.” (The Phasis is now the Rion River, near the Caucasus Mountains.) Although the Greeks gave the pheasant itsname, it was Julius Caesar and his empire that spread the bird across Europe and England. But how did the bird come to the USA? Actually, it was the Chinese that brought the Chinese ringed-neck pheasant to North America around 1733, where it quickly became a delicacy.
Over
the years since, chicken and turkey have taken center stage in American
fowl tastes, but it’s still possible to get fresh duck, quail, and
even pheasant in the Hudson Valley, especially during hunting season.
So, for a change, why not try pheasant for Christmas this year? (These
recipes take some time, but they’re worth every minute.)
PHEASANT:
3 WAYS Pheasant
is available locally, with a little online detective work, pre-cut like
most fowl. But, should you feel adventurous, and have good sharp knives
(as well as confidence and skill with them), I recommend buying a whole
pheasant and filleting it yourself—the energy and work you put in,
along with the freshness, will in my opinion make a better meal. If you
choose to buy a whole one, look for good appearance, a nice layer of skin
fat, and the smell should be fresh and slightly sweet.
This can be made several days in advance and served at leisure. Overnight prep is required.
Put
the pheasant legs, sugar, coarse salt and thyme in a bowl, and mix it
so the pheasant legs are all covered. Let this sit in the fridge overnight,
for at least 12 hours. Put
the duck fat, juniper berries, orange skin, bay leaf and peppercorns in
a pot and bring to a temperature around 220F-250F. Wipe the salt, peppercorns,
and berries off of the pheasant legs and add them to the duck fat to cook
for at least 2 1⁄2 hours. The legs are ready when the meat falls
off the bone, but be careful…we want them in one piece! Pull the
legs out, allow to cool, and serve. If
preparing this days in advance, be sure to leave a thin coating of duck
fat on the legs when you refrigerate. When ready to serve, sauté
the leg with some salt and olive oil until golden brown, put in the oven
to heat thoroughly and then arrange on the plate and serve.
Chop
all the vegetables in small cubes and sweat them in a large pot with some
olive oil, until the vegetables become slightly brown, then take them
out of the pan. Put new olive oil in the pan, add the pheasant meat, and
lightly brown. Add the spices and sweat for another 5 minutes (the flavors
of the spices will come out much better this way). Add the wine and cook
until the alcohol smell is gone. Then add the tomato, boil for about a
minute, then turn down the heat and let simmer for about 1 1⁄2 hours.
Salt and pepper to taste. (You
can make this stew up to 4 days ahead of time, the flavors will actually
get better and more integrated with each other.)
When
it is time to serve, put the pheasant stew in the ramekins, or small bowls.
Cut the puff pastry in circles so they just fit the top of the ramekins
(make it stick with some water or some egg whites if needed). Cook in
the oven on 375 F (preheated) until the puff pastry looks nice and brown.
Salt the pheasant filets and preheat a sauté pan ( preferably big enough for four breasts, or use 2 smaller sauté pans…on most home stoves you will have a nicer result with the smaller pans). Sauté the filets in a little olive oil until golden brown, then put them in the oven at 270 F for another 15 minutes. Take the filets out, let them rest (about 5 minutes), then carve them into 5 tranches (diagonal slices). Put the sauté pan back on the stove and add the white wine. Reduce until 1⁄2 cup is left, then add butter. When everything is emulsified, pour it over the carved breast on the plate
For
the full effect (see picture): Put the pheasant stew ramekin in a corner
of the plate, the leg (from the confit) leaning against it. Then spread
out the carved breast in front, and pour the wine sauce over it. Serve
with some braised greens and apricot compote, (or anything else you like).
WHAT
IS “CONFIT”? The definitions are thus: 1) Meat, such as duck, that has been salted and then cooked and preserved in its own fat.; and 2) A condiment made by cooking seasoned fruit or vegetables, usually to a jam like consistency. For our purposes here, we’re going with definition (1). Fat
has been used as a preservative for meat for many years, before refrigerators,
freezers or Cryovac®. Though the technique is dispensable in modern
times, the first step of a confit still has value. Dry-curing the meat
overnight with kosher salt and a blend of aromatic spices works like
brining, making quality storage possible. Since we are using pheasant,
which is a very lean bird (it has 40 percent less fat then chicken),
the duck fat helps maintain moisture. The legs emerge from the oven
almost impossibly juicy and fragrant. (They won’t be too salty
if you are careful to wipe them clean before cooking.) Once a confit
is made you can keep in for 6 months in the freezer as long as it is
submerged in fat. This technique also makes it possible for restaurants
to use local meats even in the winter time. Now you can do it too…at
home. PIERRE-LUC MOEYS IS CHEF AND OWNER OF ORIOlE9 in WOODSTOCK |
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