- 1 small pheasant
- 4 tablespoons [60 g] butter
- 2 tablespoons [30 mL] peanut oil
- 4 slices salt pork [or bacon], finely chopped
- 1 medium-size onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup [250 mL] freshly made white breadcrumbs
- 1/2 pound [227 g] sausage meat
- 1 teaspoon [5 mL] grated lemon rind
- 1/2 teaspoon [2.5 mL] grated orange rind
- 2 tablespoons [30 mL] chopped pistachio nuts
- 2 ounces [56 g] button mushrooms, cleaned and finely minced
- 1 teaspoon [5 mL] salt
- 1 teaspoon [5 mL] gray pepper
- 4 tablespoons [60 mL] alcohol
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
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- Half pheasant using a sharp knife.
- Into a large frypan or a casserole, heat together butter and peanut oil.
- When all foam has disappeared, add pheasant halves.
- Lower heat and cook pheasant halves for 35 to 40 minutes, turning halves from time to time, until well done.
- To check for doneness: prick pheasant breast with a fork, a sharp knife or a skewer.
- If juices run clear, it is done.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove pheasant halves from frypan or casserole; transfer onto a cutting board.
- Leave to cool.
- Remove almost all of the fat from frypan or casserole, leaving only a thin layer.
- Add chopped salt pork or bacon, chopped onion and minced garlic; brown over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring.
- Remove from heat; drain salt pork or bacon and vegetables onto paper toweling.
- Preheat oven to 375°F [190°C / 5 th].
- Skin and bone pheasant halves.
- Puree together pheasant meat, salt pork or bacon and vegetables into a blender.
- Transfer mixture into a large bowl; add white breadcrumbs, sausage meat, lemon and orange rinds, chopped pistachio nuts, minced mushrooms, salt and gray pepper.
- By hand, mix together all ingredients.
- Well mix in alcohol and slightly beaten egg.
- Spoon mixture into a 6-cup [1.5-L] oven-safe dish.
- Cover mixture with 2 layers al foil.
- Transfer dish into a roasting pan; pour in water, up to approximately 1/2-inch [1.3-cm] from dish rim.
- Transfer roasting pan in preheated oven.
- Bake for 5 minutes; lower oven temperature to 350°F [180°C / 4 - 5 th] and bake for 1 hour more.
- Remove roasting pan from oven; remove dish from roasting pan.
- Cool to room temperature.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, before serving.
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