Pheasant Braised In Gin And Juniper Recipes

TENDER PHEASANTS

Steps:

• Place the pheasants into a large slow cooker. Wrap and drape the bacon over the birds, covering the pheasants as much as you can. Whisk the condensed soup, sour cream, water, chopped onion, onion soup mix, and mushrooms together in a mixing bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour over the pheasants.
• Cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours, or on High for 5 to 7 hours.

PHEASANT BRAISED IN GIN AND JUNIPER

Steps:

• Season the pheasant with salt and pepper and truss to help maintain its shape.
• Completely wrap the bird with the pork fat, tying with twine if necessary.
• In a heavy bottomed casserole, sear the bird until golden brown on all sides.
• Remove the pheasant and pour off the fat.
• Add the oil and shallots and saute until just beginning to color.
• Add the juniper, bay leaves, liquids and pheasant, cover the casserole and simmer for 35 to 45 minutes or until bird is tender (check at leg joint).
• Remove the pheasant to a serving platter, discard fat wrap and keep warm.
• Strain braising liquid, discarding solids and skim off fat.
• Reduce mixture quickly over high heat to a light sauce consistency.
• Off heat, whisk in the parsley and butter and season with salt and pepper.
• Carve pheasant into serving pieces, and ladle with sauce and serve immediately.

CIDER-BRAISED PHEASANT WITH PEARL ONIONS AND APPLES

Steps:

• Make marinade:
• In blender, combine olive oil, ginger, tarragon, orange juice, zest, salt, and pepper and purée until smooth. In large bowl, combine marinade and pheasant and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 48 hours.
• Braise pheasant:
• In very large Dutch oven over moderately high heat, heat olive oil until hot but not smoking. Remove pheasant pieces from marinade, scraping off excess, and sprinkle with salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Working in batches, sear pheasant pieces until well browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towel-lined platter to drain.
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Skim off all but 1 tablespoon oil from pan, leaving browned bits at bottom, and set pan over moderately low heat. Add butter and heat until melted. Stir in onions, bay leaf, fennel seeds, salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are well caramelized, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Return pheasant to pot. Add chicken broth, cider, and wine. (Liquid should cover half of pheasant pieces. Add more chicken broth if necessary.) Raise heat to high and bring liquid to simmer. Add apples, cover, and transfer pot to oven. Braise, turning pheasant pieces occasionally, until meat is cooked through and tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Using tongs or slotted spoon, transfer pheasant to platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Set pot over high heat and bring pan juices to boil. Boil, uncovered, until sauce is well reduced and thickened, about 25 minutes. Taste and add additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
• While juices are reducing, prepare caramelized onions and apples:
• Bring medium pot of water to boil. Add pearl onions and boil, uncovered, 1 minute. Drain and run under cold water until cool enough to handle; slip off skins.
• In small skillet over moderately high heat, heat oil until hot but not smoking. Add onions, apples, sugar, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Sear, shaking pan occasionally, until onions and apples are dark golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in apple cider, scraping up any browned bits in pan. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until onions are fork tender, about 2 minutes more.
• Serve:
• Spoon some of sauce over pheasant and garnish with onions, apples, and chopped tarragon. Serve additional sauce alongside.

POT-ROAST PHEASANT WITH FINO & PORCINI

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Soak the dried porcini in 100ml boiling water for 10 mins until softened and then drain, reserving the mushroom stock.
• Cover each pheasant in four overlapping slices of prosciutto and tie them each in place with a piece of string. Heat the oil in a high-sided, heavy-bottomed skillet or frying pan over a medium heat. Season the pheasants all over and brown them one at a time in the pan, starting with the breast side for a few mins, and then turning until they are golden all over - this should take about 8 mins. Tuck the bay leaves into their cavities, then put them into one large or two medium-sized flameproof, lidded casseroles.
• Keeping the pan on the hob, lower the heat and add the butter. When it has melted, add the juniper berries, thyme and shallots, then season. Fry gently for 5-10 mins, until the shallots are golden brown. Add the flour to the pan and cook, stirring for 1 min. Then turn up the heat and pour in the sherry, scraping the bottom of the pan to pick up any crust. Cook for 1-2 mins, stirring, then add the stock and mushroom water, and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 mins, or until reduced by a third, then pour into the casserole with the pheasants.
• Cover the casserole tightly with foil and put the lid on top of the foil. Roast the pheasants in the oven for 20 mins, then uncover the pot and put back in the oven for a further 15-20 mins or until cooked through (a little pinkness is okay). Lift out the pheasants onto a platter, cover with foil and rest them for at least 10 mins.
• While the pheasants are resting add the grapes, porcini and cream to the liquor in the casserole and cook over a gentle heat for 10-15 mins (if your casserole is not flameproof, tip the cooking juices into a saucepan instead). While this is cooking, carve the breasts and legs off the birds, put in a roasting tin and cover with foil. Just before serving, return to the oven at 150C/130C fan/gas 2 for 3 mins to heat through. Serve the meat with a generous spoonful of the sauce and the side dishes.