Pheasant With Leek And Pecan Stuffing Recipe
Ingredients
| Pheasants | 2 Pound, Defrosted | |
| 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion | ||
| Carrot | 1 Large, peeled, finely chopped | |
| 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon dried marjoram | ||
| Dried thyme | 1/4 Teaspoon | |
| Bay leaf | 1 | |
| Italian parsley sprig | 6 | |
| 3 cups Chicken Stock or canned chicken broth | ||
| Ground black pepper | 1 To taste | |
| Butter | 12 Tablespoon | |
| 10 medium size leeks, white part only, well cleaned and thinly sliced | ||
| 6 cups crumbs from good-quality white bread | ||
| Pecans | 2 Cup (16 tbs), toasted | |
| 1 cup finely chopped Italian parsley | ||
| 4 slices of pancetta, 1 ounce each | ||
| Heavy cream | 1/2 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Salt | To Taste | |
Directions
Rinse the pheasants thoroughly inside and out and pat dry with paper towels.
Chop the neck, heart, and gizzard (save the liver for another use).
Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan.
Brown neck and giblets well in the oil, turning frequently.
Add the onion, carrot, and 1 teaspoon of the marjoram.
Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes.
Uncover, add the thyme, bay leaf, parsley, and the stock, and season with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes.
Strain the stock, discarding the solids, and reserve.
Melt the butter in a skillet.
Stir in the sliced leeks and cook, covered, over low heat for 30 minutes, or until leeks are very tender.
Toss leeks, including their butter, with bread crumbs, pecans, chopped parsley and remaining 2 tablespoons of marjoram.
Season lightly with salt and generously with pepper.
Toss again; if the stuffing seems dry, moisten it with 1/4 cup or so of the reserved broth.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Stuff the pheasants loosely and drape the breasts with the pancetta.
Tie it in place with kitchen twine and set the pheasants in a shallow roasting pan.
Set roasting pan in the middle of the oven and bake for about 1 hour, basting the pheasants occasionally with the fat and juices that accumulate.
Pheasants are done when the thighs, pricked with a fork at their thickest, dribble clear yellow juices.
Remove the pheasants from the pan, cover with foil, and keep warm.
Pour excess fat out of roasting pan.
Pour reserved stock and the heavy cream into pan and set over medium heat.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring and scraping up any browned bits, until sauce is reduced by about one third.
Taste and correct seasoning.
Carve the pheasants and arrange the meat on a platter.
Mound the stuffing in the center and drizzle meat and stuffing with a few spoonfuls of the sauce.
Chop the neck, heart, and gizzard (save the liver for another use).
Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan.
Brown neck and giblets well in the oil, turning frequently.
Add the onion, carrot, and 1 teaspoon of the marjoram.
Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes.
Uncover, add the thyme, bay leaf, parsley, and the stock, and season with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes.
Strain the stock, discarding the solids, and reserve.
Melt the butter in a skillet.
Stir in the sliced leeks and cook, covered, over low heat for 30 minutes, or until leeks are very tender.
Toss leeks, including their butter, with bread crumbs, pecans, chopped parsley and remaining 2 tablespoons of marjoram.
Season lightly with salt and generously with pepper.
Toss again; if the stuffing seems dry, moisten it with 1/4 cup or so of the reserved broth.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Stuff the pheasants loosely and drape the breasts with the pancetta.
Tie it in place with kitchen twine and set the pheasants in a shallow roasting pan.
Set roasting pan in the middle of the oven and bake for about 1 hour, basting the pheasants occasionally with the fat and juices that accumulate.
Pheasants are done when the thighs, pricked with a fork at their thickest, dribble clear yellow juices.
Remove the pheasants from the pan, cover with foil, and keep warm.
Pour excess fat out of roasting pan.
Pour reserved stock and the heavy cream into pan and set over medium heat.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring and scraping up any browned bits, until sauce is reduced by about one third.
Taste and correct seasoning.
Carve the pheasants and arrange the meat on a platter.
Mound the stuffing in the center and drizzle meat and stuffing with a few spoonfuls of the sauce.
Chef
