15 Flavorful Pheasant Recipes - Beautiful Dawn Designs (2024)

FAQs

Which cooking method is best for pheasant? ›

Along with whole birds, our butchers prepare boned and stuffed pheasants for easy cooking and carving. We recommend roasting these in oil or fat for one hour at 180ºC.

I did some reading on how to get the best tasting results from a wild pheasant, and learned the following helpful tips (all of which I can vouch for!) Soak the meat in saltwater or milk to remove any gamey taste: Some people don't mind the “wild” flavor in pheasant (or duck or deer or what have you).

Many people use heat that's too high or cook pheasant too long, Hill said. A slow cooker is a great way to help avoid that trap. Another method: marination. For his award-winning sandwich, Hill marinated his pheasant in Burgundy for about two days before cooking.

For wet brine, add sugar and salt to water. Stir until dissolved. Add peeled, smashed garlic cloves and smashed ginger, along with peppercorns. Completely submerge one pheasant in brine and soak overnight, approximately 12 to 14 hours.

The bird can be roasted, smoked, fried or cooked in a slow cooker. Popular seasonings choices for pheasant include rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper and soy sauce.

Soak the pheasant.

Soaking it in liquid before cooking can add more moisture to the meat, and this will make for a more tender bird. For younger birds, soak the meat for about four hours.

For such an elaborately plumaged bird, the flavor of pheasant can be underwhelming—I fully expect to receive grief from several of you for saying that. But let's be real: A freshly-killed pheasant can be described as neither tough nor tender, and flavor-wise, there are more interesting game birds I'd rather eat.

Soak grouse, pheasant, quail, and partridge carcasses in cold water for one to two hours to remove excess blood.

Roberts said prior to cooking the bird, the gamey taste can be pulled out by soaking it in milk and the blood can also be extracted. "I normally soak them (pheasant) overnight in a salt water ... it pulls the blood out," Roberts said.

Cranberry Sauce: The tartness of cranberry sauce can provide a delightful contrast to the rich pheasant meat. It's a classic pairing that many enjoy. Green Vegetables: Steamed or sautéed green vegetables such as broccoli, asparagus, or green beans add a fresh and vibrant element to the plate.

How long does it take a pheasant to cook in the oven? ›

To cook: Preheat the oven to 220C, gas mark 7. Place the pheasant in a roasting tin and cook in the centre of the oven for 50 minutes. Baste frequently during cooking. Cook thoroughly until the juices run clear when pierced with a fork and there is no pink meat.

Jamaican jerk seasoning and chimichurri are two marinades that will work for a variety of game meat. I've used them to season everything from venison to squirrel.

Cover and refrigerate at least 12 hrs (overnight is best to make for dinner the following evening). Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove pheasant from brine and discard brine. Pat dry with paper towel; place breast side up in roasting pan.

You may soak older birds in a solution of ½ teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon vinegar per quart of cold water for 4 to 12 hours in the refrigerator.

Because farm-raised game birds are usually young and tender, they can be roasted, sautéed, grilled, and barbecued. The most important thing to remember about them is they are usually very lean. Therefore, they are best served slightly rare. If cooked to well done, they become dry.

Heat all game bird meats to 165°F (74°C) to reduce the risk of foodborne illness. Use a calibrated food thermometer to ensure proper cooking temperature is reached. If you will be stuffing birds, stuff just before cooking.

Moist cookery methods, such as stewing or braising, are appropriate for older birds. To decrease the distinctive taste of some wild game, trim off as much of the fat as possible. Older or skinned birds may become dry during baking. You may want to wrap the birds with bacon to prevent them from drying out.

Do not be alarmed if the thigh meat is pink. As long as the internal temperature is at least 154° and the meat is not translucent, the thighs will be perfectly safe to eat and much tastier than if overcooked! Farm-raised or wild pheasant can be treated more as a red meat rather than a white meat in the kitchen.