Well it's over: The first and only Family Pheasant Cook-off

[Backseat Driver]

I fulfilled the New Year's Resolution today: Do something you've never done before - so I cooked a pheasant in family competition with my SIL - His dirty birdie was delicious with high notes of citrus and his sides were simple yet elegant - polenta and mashed sweet potato and cauliflower.

My dirty birdie was lightly brined, marinated whole, and then roasted with a bacon-protected breast on a bed of apple, shallots, the crisp bacon from the roasted birdie and giblets with wild rice augmented by a cinnomine stick reduction of Stella Artois "Cidre" in the pan drippings." Sides included a Carrot-Butternut tart w/whole wheat crust dizzled with saged brown butter; a mushroom bread pudding; and a beet and red onion balsamic casserole with crispy topped crumbs.

Dessert: Lemon Cheesecake bars (from a box, lol).

I won the competition, but barely, and everyone contributed many excellent comments on our hard work! -
We were just a so-far-as-we-know healthy gathering of seven, always masked in public, stay-at-home,work-at-home, and one hybrid 2-days @ elementary school with on-line assignments - What Dinner @ Eight family fun!

I'm now exhausted and going to bed! I see I really missed some juicy Sunday news - I'll catch up tomorrow.

[fierywoman]

1. I wanna come to YOUR house for dinner! (Congrats, btw.)

[Freddie]

2. Wow - congrats! A lot of hard work!

BTW where do you live that your family hunts for pheasants? DH and his dad were pheasant hunters many years ago but a virus killed the pheasants (supposedly spread from domestic chickens) around here. I hear they’re making a comeback but they’re nowhere near as common as they used to be. We’re in PA, just south of the Lehigh Valley.

[Backseat Driver]

4. LOL - I went cyber-hunting at

https://www.pheasantfordinner.com - whole birds as well as other products; recipes too! Fast delivery in well-chilled packaging.


A small Pheasant snack stix sampler pack was yummy too!

[Callalily]

3. Congrats on your win!

I too have never cooked a pheasant, and for that matter never eaten one.

If I'm so inclined to do so, I want you to cook it for me!

Hope you got a lot of rest.

[Wawannabe]

5. I was gifted a pheasant and will prepare it tonight

It is undressed so I will have to skin it.
Also have chanterelles from Whidby Island and fresh peppers and zucchini.

I am preparing in cast iron Dutch using this method. ...except I will do it in the house instead of over coals.

Side is a mixed green salad with Gorgonzola, garlic Parmesan walnuts and blue cheese dressing.

https://m.

&t=186s

[Backseat Driver]

6. Oh my - thanks for sharing this site and youtube video channel(s)!

Let us know how it turned out too.

[Wawannabe]

7. The bird was fantastic!

I wish could post a pic!
I skinned and gutted myself!
Much like a chicken to cut up but the skinning method I saw on YouTube as well.

I did make a change to the boy's recipe tho. I used red wine (Pinot) instead of beer and buttermilk. Also, my bacon was smokey and had a pepper crust. The wine and smoke paired very well with the pheasant.

I had breast meat and it was only slightly dry--- but the sauce! Oh the sauce! Made it lovely!!