How to prepare a pheasant? Any ideas please!

[MrsC]

Hi all

We have a new addition to the household, a pheasant brought for Mr C's dinner tomorrow. How do you prepare it for cooking etc?

[RichmondHens]

Are you saying it is freshly dead, ie feathers and all? If it is a nice heavy one you could get away with roasting it, so pluck it. It will pluck more easily if you hang it for a couple of days. If it is a smallish lighter one then there may not be much on it for roasting so skin it and casserole it. Cook anyway you like, same as chicken! If roasting I would put a bit of bacon over the breast to stop it drying out (there is hardly any fat on a pheasant).

[MrsC]

Yes, shot this lunch. Not that big (it's a hen) 3/4 llbs if that. Watched a cpl of videos on the net. Some recommend skinning, others plucking. Might just skin it and cook it for Mr C

[RichmondHens]

Casserole in wine/cider, with mushrooms and celery - one of my favourites!

[Bramble-Poultry]

If shot this afternoon, i would hang it long legged (i.e still with guts in) for a couple of days to develop flavour. You can hang for up to a week but thats too gamey for me. NEVER HANG A DRESSED BIRD as the opened cavity is an open invitation for every sort of bacteria you can imagine to take up residence. Long legged is safer as long as you can hang it at around 4 celcius or below. Dont let it touch other birds hanging or solid surfaces such as walls etc as these will allow the bacteria to bridge across more easily

as richmond says, there aint much fat on it, so lard it up with some streaky bacon, or if you have plucked it and left the skin on, if you are sneaky you can just seperate the skin from the breasts by the neck hole with your fingers and push a couple of small pats of butter up between the skin and the breast tissue.

when dressing it out, cut the legs off at the kness, but carefully (using pliers) pull the tendons out from the thighs otherwise as they cook they will shrink and pull the thigh meat into a ball.

when roasting i just shove a lemon up the cavity instead of stuffing, grind some salt, pepper and some mixed herbs over the bird then roast.

if too small to roast, you could joint it and cook in wine with some apricots and onions until it falls from the bones, or if you can get a load of them and feel decadent, joint them, dip in flour, then egg then seasoned spicy breadcrumbs and deep fry for kentucky fried pheasant!

if doing a KFC type meal, i find if you simmer the joints in a bit of milk first until nearly cooked, then crumb and fry you can guarantee that the poultry is cooked, the crumbing will colour nicely and the polutry wil lbe very very tender.

alternativly, if really adventurous, fire up the bar-b-que and keep the coals to each side of the barbie, but not directly in the middle. Place an old roasting tin between the coals then place a half drunk (yes you can have the first bit) can of beer or stout on top of the griddle. Insert chicken / pheasant over the top of the can so its effectivly standing on its bum. Put the lid on the babrie and leave to cook, the indirect heat will make it cook slowly, and the beer will evaporate and steam the poultry from the inside. Beer can chicken - a classic. Always check the poultry is cooked if using this method by using a temperature probe and ensuring that all parts of the birds are at at least 75 celcius.

[Bren In Pots]

We're having pheasant pie tomorrow using this recipe:-

http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/be...with-cider-293

I've made it a few times and it always turns out good. Also have a look at the Pot roast pheasant gypsy style on the link that's another fave.

[Snadger]

I often get pheasant given that tend to 'whiff' a bit. In these instances, and as I do with pigeon, I just breast them. Easy simple and tasty, if not wasteful to some degree!

[Bulbaholic]

A pheasant needs hanging for a few days to develop any flavour. If it was only shot yesterday then it will taste pretty much like a supermarket chicken. It should be hung in a cool, not freezing shed by the neck (feathers should be hung by the neck, fur by the back legs). When you take it down it should be plucked, not easy but can be lots of fun, and then the insides cleaned out and washed.
How you cook it is up to you. If you roast it remember that it does (should) not have a lot of fat so you will need to cover the breast with fatty bacon.
Enjoy

[MrsC]

Hi guys, thanks for your replies. Only just logged on and the 'bird' is now marinating in a bit of brandy and herbs. I know, the only liquer in the house. Mr C will have it tonight for his tea. Will let you know what he thinks! He's never tasted it before.

[Bren In Pots]

Our pheasant pie has just gone in the oven, does smell nice