Braised Pheasant With Chestnuts Recipes

Steps:

• Place the pheasants into a large slow cooker. Wrap and drape the bacon over the birds, covering the pheasants as much as you can. Whisk the condensed soup, sour cream, water, chopped onion, onion soup mix, and mushrooms together in a mixing bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour over the pheasants.
• Cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours, or on High for 5 to 7 hours.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. With a sharp knife, make two crosscut gashes on flat side of chestnuts. Place on a baking sheet, and roast for 15 to 20 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel off skins and set aside.
• Rinse rice well. In a medium saucepan, combine with 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover loosely, and allow to simmer for 25 minutes. Remove from heat, add 1/2 teaspoon salt, and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside.
• Rinse pheasant, and pat dry. Combine rosemary, garlic, minced shallots, and salt and pepper to taste. Rub cavity with mixture. Season outside with salt and pepper.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. To truss bird, place it breast side up with legs pointing toward you. Tuck wing tips underneath body. Cut off at least 36 inches of kitchen string. Pass center of string underneath wings and body below neck cavity. Holding string ends in either hand, pull toward you so that string runs between body and thighs. Cross strings underneath tailbone; pull up, catching legs and crossing them. Cross string over legs, pulling to secure. Loop strings around legs again, and tie in a knot on top.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a roasting pan over medium heat. Brown bird evenly on all sides, about 15 minutes. Place breast side up; transfer to oven. Cook for about 40 more minutes, basting often, until legs are a little loose when you shake them.
• Meanwhile, melt 1/2 teaspoon each of butter and oil in a skillet. Add slivered shallots, and cook over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer shallots to a bowl.
• Melt another 1/2 teaspoon each of butter and oil in skillet. Add fennel slices, and cook for 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl.
• Melt remaining tablespoon butter in skillet. Add chestnuts; cook for 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup stock and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil and simmer until reduced to a glaze, about 10 minutes. Add remaining stock; simmer until again reduced to a glaze, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Steps:

• Make the stock by simmering the pheasant neck and gizzard with the onion, carrot and celery, salt and pepper, thyme and bayleaf for 20 minutes. Set aside.
• Melt the butter in a casserole large enought to hold the pheasant surrounded by vegetables in one layer. Saute the carrots, shallots and turnips in the butter until they are golden. Sprinkle the flour on the pheasant and brown in the butter. Turn down heat, cover and leave to simmer.
• Meanwhile, make a short vertical slit through the top of the chestnuts toward the bottom. Simmer for five minutes in boiling water. Remove with a slotted spoon one at a time and peel while hot. If you allow the chestnuts to cool, the inner skin sticks to the chestnuts. Use rubber gloves if you cannot peel the chestnuts with your bare fingers.
• Add the chestnuts to the casserole. Add the wine and one cup of stock. Cover and cook for half an hour. Test the pheasant for doneness and season with salt and pepper. Remove the pheasant to a serving dish. If the sauce is too liquid, bring to boil and reduce. If it is too thick, add more stock.
• Arrange the vegetables and sauce around the pheasant and serve hot.

Steps:

• Heat a large heavy saucepan. Add the oil, butter, and chopped onions. When onions turn slightly brown, deglaze with port wine. Add thyme, chestnuts, chicken stock, and a little salt and pepper. Cover and cook until chestnuts are tender and the chestnuts have absorbed most of the liquid.
• Serve as whole braised chestnuts or pass through a ricer and make a wonderful chestnut puree.

Steps:

• Make the stock by simmering the pheasant neck and gizzard with the onion, carrot and celery, salt and pepper, thyme and bayleaf for 20 minutes. Set aside.
• Melt the butter in a casserole large enough to hold the pheasant surrounded by vegetables in one layer. Saute the carrots, shallots and turnips in the butter until they are golden brown. Sprinkle the flour on the pheasant and brown in the butter. Turn down heat, cover and leave to simmer.
• Meanwhile, make a short vertical slit through the top of the chestnuts toward the bottom. Simmer for five minutes in boiling water. Remove with a slotted spoon one at a time and peel while hot. If your allow the chestnuts to cool, the inner skin sticks to the chestnut. Use rubber gloves if you cannot peel the chestnuts with your bare fingers.
• Add the chestnuts to the casserole . Add the wine and one cup of stock. Cover and cook for half an hour. Test the pheasant for doneness and season with salt and pepper. Remove the pheasant to a serving dish. If the sauce is too liquid, bring to a boil and reduce. If it is too thick, add more stock.
• Arrange the vegetables and sauce around the pheasant and serve hot.