Smoked Pheasant Chowder Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F and position the oven rack in the bottom third of the oven.
• Season the cavities and the outside of each pheasant liberally with salt and pepper. Divide the chopped onion and carrot equally among the cavities of the pheasants. Squeeze the juice from both halves of the orange and set aside. Cut 1 of the squeezed halves into 3 pieces, and tuck inside of the cavities along with the veggies. Insert 1sprig of thyme into the cavity of each pheasant.
• Arrange the pheasants in a large roasting pan, breast sides up. Lay 2 strips of bacon over the top of each pheasant, cutting the bacon into pieces if necessary to cover as much of the pheasant as possible. Roast for 15 minutes, then remove the bacon strips and continue roasting for approximately 30 to 40 minutes, or until the juices run clear. (It is important to not overcook the pheasants, as they are very lean birds.) Remove the pheasants from the oven and transfer to a serving platter, loosely tented, while you make the sauce.
• Using a spoon, carefully remove as much extra fat from the pan as possible. Place the roasting pan over high heat and, when hot, deglaze with the reserved orange juice and Madeira, using a wooden spoon to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. When the orange juice and Madeira have reduced by half, add the chicken stock and continue to cook until sauce has reduced enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3 to 4 minutes. Swirl in the butter and remove from the heat. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• Remove the back bone from each pheasant, then cut along the breast bone to divide the birds into two halves. Serve 1/2 pheasant per person, napped with some of the sauce and with some of the Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding.
• Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over high heat. Add the onions and cook until golden brown and tender, 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon of the garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the Essence, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 3/4 teaspoon of the pepper, and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are tender and have given off their liquid, about 5 minutes. Add the beer and cook, stirring, to deglaze the pan and until the mixture is almost dry, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
• In a large bowl, combine the eggs, cream, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of Essence, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and whisk well to combine. Add the mushroom mixture and cheeses and stir well. Add the bread cubes and let sit until the bread has absorbed the liquid, 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with the butter. Add the bread crumbs, shaking to cover the bottom evenly. Pour the bread pudding mixture into the prepared pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 1 hour and uncover. Continue baking until risen and firm in the center, and golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before serving.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
• Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

Steps:

• With a cleaver, heavy chef's knife, or kitchen shears, split the pheasant in half, then cut the thighs and legs from the breasts. Place the 4 pieces of pheasant in a 6 to 8-quart stockpot and cover with the water. Bring to a boil, skimming off the white foam as it rises to the surface. (Using a ladle and a circular motion, push the foam from the center to the side of the pot, where it is easy to remove). Lower the heat so the broth is at a slow simmer.
• Meanwhile, remove the leaves from 3 springs of thyme, reserving the stems, chop, and reserve (you should have 1 teaspoon). Add the thyme stems and the remaining thyme sprig to the broth. Also add the coarsely chopped onion and carrot, the celery, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, and cloves, along with the reserved bacon rind, to the pot. Season lightly with salt, partially cover, and simmer slowly for 2 hours.
• Remove the broth from the heat. With tongs, transfer the pheasant pieces to a plate. When they are cool enough to handle, pull the meat off the bones, discarding the bones, and tear the meat into bite-sized pieces. Or cut the meat with a knife into rectangular strips that are approximately 1/2 by 1-inch. (If you used whole pheasant, you will have about 1 pound of meat). Cover and refrigerate until needed. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer; you should have about 8 cups. If you are not making the chowder right away, let the broth cool a bit, then refrigerate; cover the broth after it has chilled completely. (The broth and meat can be prepared a day in advance if you like)
• Heat a 4 to 6-quart heavy pot over low heat and add the bacon. Once it has rendered a few tablespoons of fat, increase the heat to medium and cook until the bacon is crisp and golden brown. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat, leaving the bacon in the pot.
• Add the butter, the diced onion, the sliced carrot, the reserved thyme leaves, and the caraway seeds and saute, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the onion is softened but not browned.
• Add the potatoes and the reserved pheasant broth, bring to a simmer, and simmer over medium heat for about 8 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through but still firm. Add the cabbage and simmer for 5 minutes more, until it just begins to soften (it will continue to cook after the chowder is removed from the stove).
• Remove the chowder from the heat, stir in the pheasant meat, and season to taste with salt and black pepper. If you are not serving the chowder within the hour, let it cool a bit, then refrigerate; cover the chowder after it has chilled completely. Otherwise, let it sit at room temperature for up to 1 hour, allowing the flavors to meld.
• When ready to serve, reheat the chowder over low heat; don't let it boil. Use a slotted spoon to mound the pheasant, cabbage, onions, and potatoes in the center of large soup plates or shallow bowls, and ladle the clear broth around. Sprinkle each serving with a generous spoonful of chopped parsley.