The Best of All Roast Pheasant Recipes

 

 

This time of year when pheasants are a plenty and my shooting friends go a shooting, we are never without a few nice pheasants just waiting to be cooked.

Roast pheasant recipes like this come in handy. It’s a no fuss recipe once you get all those birds feathered and cleaned.

You might want to just go to a good butcher.

Twice a week I open my front door to find two, three, sometimes four freshly shot pheasants hanging from my tree in the front garden.

I don’t always know who put them there but around here my neighbours know they will be devoured and enjoyed.

Roast pheasant recipes, of which I have many, are best when they are simple. The meat is quite rich so you don’t need to use a lot of ingredients.

The simple sauce is delicious mopped up with a crusty loaf of bread or served on top of pasta or polenta.

Where is this recipe from?

This is from my family cookbook and stems from one of my never known but greatly appreciated family members.

My great great great grandfather brought the recipe with him from Northern Italy when his family emigrated to the US.

Now, this, the best of all roast pheasant recipes has travelled right back to the other side of the pond with me. It might be simple but I think my family will be making it fro many years to come.

By the way, this recipe is great with other feathered game too.

Are you tempted to try this pheasant recipe?

Get yourself a couple of pheasants and give this one a go.

If you like this recipe, you might like to try these too…

Spaghetti with lardo and artichokes
Tuna stuffed peppers
Chicken and chorizo risotto
Nduja pasta
Green beans Italian style

Italian Pheasant Casserole

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 brace pheasant
• salt and pepper to taste
• 10 crushed juniper berries
• 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 250ml (1 cup) chicken or pheasant stock
• 2 tablespoons brandy
• 30 seedless grapes – cut in half
• 140ml ( ½ cup) dry white wine
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 6 cloves garlic - crushed
• 2 tablespoons Madeira
• salt to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 150c (300f).
2. Season the birds inside and out with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Place 5 crushed juniper berries in each cavity.
4. In a heavy casserole or wok that has a tight lid, melt two tablespoons of the butter over medium high heat and brown both pheasants evenly.
5. Add three tablespoons of stock and one tablespoon of the brandy.
6. Cover and place the pan in the oven for about 45 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, soak the grapes in the wine and remaining stock.
8. About 10 minutes before the pheasants are done, remove the pan briefly from the oven and take the pheasants out.
9. Add one tablespoon of butter to the cooking juices and stir in the wine/stock and grape mixture. Also stir in the rosemary and crushed garlic.
10. Return the birds to the pan and baste them with all the amazing juices.
11. Add the Madeira and place the pan back in the oven, uncovered until the pheasants are cooked. – about 10 to 15 minutes.
12. Pour the remaining brandy over the top and light.
13. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper if needed.
14. Serve with fried potatoes, pasta or polenta.

I hope you agree that this is the best of all roast pheasant recipes. Or at least right up there. If you do try this recipe, please leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you.