Roasted Pheasant with Clove Jus, Wild Rice and Cardamom Scented Squash

(Photo from MacFarlane Pheasants)

 

 

Roasted Pheasant with Clove Jus, Wild Rice, and Cardamom-scented Squash

Serves two.

Recipe by: Nick Bernard

 

For this recipe, I leave the skin of an acorn squash on to help it hold together during the braising step of the recipe.  For this reason, I would suggest seeking out an organic, un-waxed variety of acorn squash, but still give it a good washing.

Take one medium sized acorn squash and cut off the very tip and cap so there’s a large circle of Halloween orange squash showing through that can easily brown in a pan.  Continue to slice the squash into ¾” rings.  Scoop out the seeds and pulp.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Bring some oil to medium high heat in a large pan.  Brown the squash for 2-4 minutes per side, until nicely dark and caramelized.  Remove from the pan and rub a bit of salt and Chinese 5 Spice Powder into the flesh of the squash.  Place these into a large casserole dish in a single layer.  Put 6-8 crushed green cardamom pods into the pan along with 1 ½ cups of vegetable stock.  Roast until tender, about 45 minutes.

For the wild rice, bring 2 cups of chicken stock to a boil.  Add in ¾ C of white rice and ¼ C of wild rice.  Salt water slightly (depending on saltiness of chicken broth) and cover, dropping heat to a low simmer.  Cook 20 minutes, until the white rice is soft but the wild rice keeps its toothy texture.

To prepare the pheasant, take one medium sized 2.5-3.5 lb pheasant and place on your cutting board.  Take a large knife and carefully cut the legs off of the bird, where the thighs connect into the hip.  Now divide up the legs.  Using a pair of poultry shears, cut off the feet and discard or save for another recipe.  Then cut the legs from the thighs at the knee.  Salt the legs, which are tough with tendons, then drop them into the squash pan to braise in the oven.  Next, take the body and flip the pheasant over so the chest is on the cutting board and the back is towards you.  Using your shears, cut the pheasant up one side of the spine, then the other, so the spine can lift off in one piece.  Save this for stock, or freeze for later use.  The two breasts should both be on the bone in a single piece, which will help them cook evenly and retain more moisture.

Remove the pheasant’s liver and heart and salt liberally, adding pepper to taste.  Dice the heart.  Fry the liver and heart in butter over medium heat, adding 1 Tbsp of brandy and a sprig of thyme.  Cook for about 3-4 minutes, then mash with a fork. Spread on toast for a light hors d’oeuvre.

Generously salt and pepper the skin and insides of the thighs and breast of the pheasant.  Slide one sage leaf under the skin of each thigh, and on either side of the breast.  Heat 1 Tbsp butter and 2 Tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat until the butter melts and the oil shimmers.  Raise oven temperature to 400 degrees.  Put thighs and pheasant breast skin side down in the pan and brown for 2-4 minutes.  The breasts may need to be seared on the left side, then the right, depending on how high the breastbone is.  Flip thighs and breasts to the other side and cook for 1 minute. Add 2 Tbsp vermouth and 1 cup of vegetable broth.  Add 1 smashed clove of garlic, 4 slightly crushed cloves, 2 fresh sage leaves, a small crumble of dried thyme, and a few whirls of coarse black pepper. 

Bring sauce to a boil, then place the whole pan in the oven for 6-10 minutes, until the pheasant is medium-medium well, depending on your liking.  Note: due to their small size, the thighs should only take about another 4 minutes to cook through, so remove them early.  Take the sauce pan out of the oven and remove the breast to cool on a cutting board with the thighs.  Put the saucepan on a burner and bring to a boil.  Simmer until the sauce thickens to a mild glaze, then remove the sage leaves and garlic clove.  Add salt and pepper to taste, then gently stir in 2 tablespoons of butter.  Don’t whisk them in, but let them gently settle into the sauce, with the aid of a few turns of a spoon.

To assemble: place a squash ring in the center of each plate, and fill with the rice mixture to cover the squash.  Place the thighs on top of the rice.  Cut the breasts off of the bone and lay one on top of each thigh, garnishing with another ring of squash and the braised leg in the center of the top ring.  Spoon the sauce over the bird, then pour the rest around the bottom of the plate to pool by the first squash ring.

Serve with a nice bottle of an old vine zin.

 

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