ROAST PHEASANT OR CHUKAR (GROUSE) Recipe
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Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 1 Pheasant per 2 eaters, 1 if very hearty eater. 1 Chukar per person.
4 c. water
1/4 c. ground Sea or Kosher salt
1 T. sugar
1 T. crushed juniper berries
2 T. olive oil or softened butter
5 crushed bay leaves
Onion
Apple
Fresh herbs
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Directions: |
Directions:Brine the bird(s). Make a brine by bringing water, salt, bay leaves, sugar and juniper berries to a boil. Cover and let cool to room temperature. When it cools, submerge the Pheasant/Chukar in the brine and keep it in the fridge for 4-8 hours. The longer you brine, the saltier your Upland Gamebirds will become.
Bring the bird(s) to room temperature. After the soak, take the Pheasant/Chukar out and dry him off. If you have the time, let the bird(s) rest, breast side up, uncovered in the fridge overnight. This will help when it comes time to crisp the skin. When you are ready to cook, take the Pheasant/Chukar out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour.
Heat you oven. Get it to 500º if possible, but at least 400º. Give yourself at least 15 minutes of preheating and up to a half hour. Oil the bird(s). You can do this with the olive oil or you can smear butter all over it.
Stuff and salt the bird(s). I use a grinder with Sea or Kosher salt.). Salt the whole bird well, then stuff with a piece of onion or apple and a few fresh herbs. DO NOT STUFF THE CAVITY.
Roast the bird(s) for 15 minutes at the high temperature. Take them out and lower the temperature to 325º. Leave the oven door open to speed this process. OPTIONAL: Baste the bird(s) with either butter or a glaze. One popular glaze is a boiled-down combination of butter and maple syrup. (See notes below for my preference.)
Return the bird(s) to the oven and roast for 30-45 minutes. You want the internal temperature to be about 150-155º and for the bird(s) juices to run pretty clear. A little pink in the juice - and in the bird- is what you want. The higher end of this cooking time will give you a well-done bird, which I try to avoid but many people prefer.
Remove the bird(s), cover loosely with foil and let them rest for 10-15 minutes. This resting time is vital, as it lets the juices redistribute within the bird. It will also finish off the cooking process through carry-over heating. Typically this recipe is served with potatoes and a veggie of your liking. See my notes below, for my preference. |
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Personal
Notes: |
Personal
Notes: I baste my birds with seasoned olive oil that I make up rather then butter, because I think the flavor goes better with the birds and it is "heart smart" and diet-wise. I prefer to ditch the potatoes and serve true Wild Rice and fresh mushrooms sautéed in olive oil, seasonings, and red wine. True Wild Rice is a little harder to find in some grocery stores, and more expensive than the Wild Rice mixes or blends that are advertised as "Wild Rice". However it is well worth it, because it is more complementary in terms of both flavor and texture to Pheasant and Chukar. Also - it is better for you.
In my "book", fresh Asparagus (grilled or steamed...AL DENTE...) is the only acceptable choice of veggie to serve with this meal!
I follow the meal with a frosted Dessert Cup of FRESH raspberries coved in sugar-free ginger ale. Put the respberries in the cups and pour on just enough ginger ale to cover the berries. Put the cups in the freezer and bring them out to serve, when the ginger ale begins to turn "slushy"
I have found that Rosemary works as a good substitute for Juniper berries, and I include Rosemary in the fresh herbs. To date, I haven't had any luck finding a commercial source/grocery store that carries Juniper berries.
When life and your hard working Bird Dog gives you a beautiful Pheasant or Chukar, one that you have not shot up, you should roast it whole like a chicken. But a Pheasant, or Chukar, is not a chicken, it can get dry and ugly very fast if roasted poorly. That's where this recipe comes in. This roast Gamebird recipe, unlike many of the others you may have seen, relies on a few special tricks. One is an eight-hour bring; this will season the bird and help it to retain moisture. Brining is a critical step when roasting lean game birds such as Wild Turkey, Pheasant, Sharptail or Chukar Grouse, or even smaller birds such as Bobwhite, Upland, or Desert Quail. You risk dry birds if you skip this step. Another trick is a searing hot oven, followed by a stint in a cooler oven. This isn't a terribly new idea, and if you happen to have the Englishman Hugh Feamley-Whittingstall's "The River Cottage Meat Book", he goes into this pretty thoroughly. I like my second, cooler step a bit cooler than he does, however. The third is resting the bird. Fearnley-Whittingstall is big on this, but then again so are all cooks worth their apron.
ENJOY!...and...Remember to give credit where credit's due: DASH. The World's Best Bird Dog!
NOTE: Pastor Mike, Nancy and Dash served CUMC from 2006-2012.
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