Pheasant with Mushrooms & Sage

Two whole pheasants
2-1/2 cups Sauvignon Blanc wine, divided
4 chopped shallots
6 crushed juniper berries
6 black peppercorns
6 bay leaves
1½ tsp. salt
8 sprigs fresh thyme
1½ cup Sauvignon Blanc wine
1½ tsp. salt
1½ tsp. black pepper
2 cups Chardonnay wine
1½ Tbsp. chopped shallots
1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
3 bay leaves
1½ cups heavy cream
1 Tbsp. mustard
1 Tbsp. chicken or game glace (optional)
1 tsp. chopped fresh sage
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
½ stick butter, cut into chunks
½ lb wild mushrooms, sautéed
¼ stick butter

Method:

To make the breasts: Wash and pat dry the pheasants. To cut the pheasant into pieces remove the wishbone and slice down along the line of the breastbone to remove the two breasts. Then cut off the legs and make a ¼ in. slice along the inner joint of the thigh and drumstick. Reserve the carcass and wings for a future stock. Heat a 12 in. pan over medium heat. Add 1/2 stick butter then breasts and sear turning to brown both sides. Cook breasts to medium rare repeating once again that game bird breasts are very lean and cannot be overcooked. When serving slice the breast meat thinly at an angle.

To make the marinade: in a bowl mix together 1 cup Sauvignon Blanc wine 4 chopped shallots 6 crushed juniper berries 6 black peppercorns 6 bay leaves 1-1/2 tsp. salt. Marinate the pheasant pieces for 8 hours or overnight covered in the refrigerator. Turn the pheasant several times during marinating.

To slow bake the legs: preheat oven to 300 F. Transfer the legs to a roasting pan and mix together 8 sprigs fresh thyme 1-1/2 cups Sauvignon Blanc wine 1-1/2 tsp. salt 1-1/2 tsp. black pepper. Cover pan tightly with foil and place in the oven. Begin testing for tenderness in 1 hr. When fork-tender remove from the oven.

To make the sauce: in a non-reactive or stainless steel saucepan on medium heat reduce 2 cups of Chardonnay wine with 1-1/2 Tbsp. chopped shallots garlic and bay leaves to 1/2 c. Strain and reserve the liquid. In a separate non-reactive or stainless steel saucepan on medium heat reduce the heavy cream to ½ c. In a bowl combine the wine and cream reductions and add the mustard glace sage salt and pepper. When ready to serve warm sauce over medium heat and slowly whisk in the cut-up butter one chunk at a time until melted. Add mushrooms to sauce.

Place one pheasant leg on each plate along with one sliced breast. Spoon warm sauce over pheasants.

Maweras delicious Wild Duck Soup

Ingredients:
Two plucked wild ducks
1Tbsp mushroom stock
1 Tbsp chicken stock
1 Packet Maggi Onion Soup mix
I onion, cut into 8ths
1L water
2 apples, quartered

1 Tbsp Tamarind Paste
1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
Mushrooms, sliced
Cabbage, sliced
Pepper and salt to taste

Method:

Stuff cleaned ducks with quartered apples. Place stuffed ducks breast side down in a small oven proof dish. Mix soup and stocks in water and poor over the ducks. Add onion. Cover and bake at 175C for 1.5 hours, or until leg meat is tender. Remove ducks and strain liquid into a pot.

Remove meat from the duck carcass, slice into bit size. Add to reserved liquid with cabbage and mushrooms. Bring to the boil and add tomato paste and tamarind. Allow to simmer until cabbage is soft season with pepper and salt to taste.

You can use any veges and I also used some left over pasta which I added right at the end. It was delicious!

Wild Goose with Currant Sauce

Ingredients:
1 cooking apple, cored and cut into wedges
1 navel orange, unpeeled, sectioned
6 pitted dried prunes, chopped
1 wild goose, about 5 to 7 pounds, or 2 small geese or ducklings
2 envelopes dry onion soup mix
2 cup dry red wine
2 cup water

Currant Sauce
1/4 cup red currant jelly
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup port wine
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons butter

Method:

Combine apple wedges, orange sections and chopped prunes, stirring well. Spoon into cavities of goose or geese. Place goose or geese in 1 or 2 prepared oven cooking bags, breast side up. Combine soup mix, wine, and water; pour half of mixture into each bag or all into 1 large bag.
Seal bag; cut 6 small slits in top each bag to allow steam to escape. Place bags in a large shallow pan. Bake at 170°C for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Serve with currant sauce.

Currant Sauce: Combine Currant Sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to simmer.
Makes 1 cup.