Pheasant With Mushrooms Recipes

PHEASANT WITH MUSHROOM SAUCE

Steps:

• Spread the flour across a plate. Season the pheasant with salt and pepper on both sides, then dredge in flour. Shake away the excess flour and set aside.
• Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 1-2 tbsp. of oil, or enough to coat the bottom of the pan in a thin layer. Use tongs to lay each sage leaf into the oil. Fry leaves for 15-30 seconds per side and remove to a paper towel.
• In the same pan, lay down each pheasant breast to sear. Allow them to cook undisturbed until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add 1 tbsp. of butter to the hot pan. When it has melted and begins to foam, add the mushrooms and shallot. Sauté the mushrooms until they are golden brown.
• Deglaze the pan with white wine and chicken stock. Increase the heat and bring to a soft boil. Reduce these liquids in half.
• Pour in the cream and reduce the sauce for another 2-3 minutes. Taste and season with a pinch of nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
• Return the pheasant breasts back to the pan and reduce the heat to low. Cook for an additional minute or until the pheasant is cooked through and is warm. Serve over wild rice with the mushroom-cream sauce and fried sage.

BRAISED PHEASANT WITH MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat the butter over medium-high heat and brown the thighs. Take your time and don't crowd the pot. Do it in batches if need be. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Remove the pheasant and add the sliced onion and mushrooms. Turn the heat up to medium-high and stir well. You may need another tablespoon of butter, as mushrooms soak up a lot. Cook, stirring often, until the onions begin to brown. Salt everything as it cooks.
• Deglaze the pot with the white wine; turn the heat up to high. Scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Add the garlic and the pheasant, skin side up. Let the wine cook down by half.
• Pour in enough stock to come up to the level of the pheasant skin without submerging it. Doing this will keep the skin crispy when you finish the dish. Cover the pot and cook in the oven for 45 to 60 minutes; you want the meat to be just barely tender. Uncover, turn the heat to 400°F and cook for another 15 to 30 minutes, until the skin crisps up. To finish, add the parsley, then salt, black pepper and some form of acid -- lemon juice, vinegar, etc -- to taste.

SLOW COOKER PHEASANT WITH MUSHROOMS AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Place the flour, salt, and pepper into a resealable plastic bag; shake to mix. Place the pheasant pieces into the flour mixture, and shake until evenly coated.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Shake any excess flour off of the pheasant pieces, and place them in the hot oil. Cook until the pheasant is brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Place the pheasant into a slow cooker, reserving the oil in the skillet. Cook the onion in the remaining oil until they soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and garlic, and continue cooking and stirring until the mushrooms have softened and the garlic has mellowed, about 5 minutes more.
• Pour the wine into the skillet and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, then pour in the chicken broth and return to a boil. Pour the mushroom mixture into the slow cooker, and sprinkle with sliced black olives.
• Cover, and cook on High for 4 hours, or Low for 7 hours.

ROAST PHEASANT WITH WILD MUSHROOM DUXELLES AND ROASTED VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place 1/2 teaspoon of the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 15 seconds. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms have given off their liquid and most liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper to taste.
• Use your fingers to carefully loosen the skin over the breasts on each pheasant. Place some of the mushroom duxelle under the skin of each bird. Place 1 head of roasted garlic into the cavity of each bird. Rub the remaining teaspoon of olive oil over the skin of the pheasants. Season with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together. Place in a large roasting pan and surround with the carrots, potatoes and onions.
• Roast for 15 minutes, stopping once to run a spatula under the pheasants to prevent them from sticking. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Roast until the juices run slightly pink when pricked with a fork in the thickest part of the leg, about 30 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes. Remove the string. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Cut the pheasants in half and serve with the roasted vegetables.