Braised Pheasant With Sauerkraut Food

BRAISED PHEASANT WITH SAUERKRAUT ALSATION STYLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Drain the sauerkraut and cover with cold water, stir, then drain well and squeeze with the hands to remove excess water.
• Place a casserole large enough to cook the pheasants side by side over medium heat. Before placing the pheasants in the casserole, cook the bacon in the casserole, stirring, until the fat is rendered.
• Season the pheasants with salt and pepper to taste, both outside and inside the cavities. Add the pheasants to the casserole and brown on all sides. Scatter the onions, carrot and garlic around the birds. Add the bouquet garni, juniper berries and cloves. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes.
• Place the drained sauerkraut around the pheasants and add the wine, chicken broth and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil on top of the stove, cover and remove to the oven. Bake for 35 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to 375 degrees, add the potatoes and bake for 15 minutes more. Add the sausages and bake for another 15 minutes or until the potatoes are done.
• Carve the pheasants and slice the sausages. Serve with sauerkraut and potatoes and the mustards.

BRAISED SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Place the drained sauerkraut in the insert of a 4-quart slow cooker. Add the onion, carrot, garlic, caraway seeds, thyme, bay leaves, juniper berries or gin, and black pepper. Combine them thoroughly with a fork or with your hands. Scatter the kielbasa on top and bury the hocks in the sauerkraut. Pour in the wine and broth. Cover and cook on LOW for 9 hours, until the juices are bubbling and the sauerkraut has lost its crunch.
• Remove the smoked hocks. If there is any meat on them, remove it and add it to the sauerkraut. Discard the bay leaves. Serve the braised sauerkraut as is with boiled potatoes, or use as a base for choucroute garni.

BRAISED PHEASANT WITH SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Sprinkle pheasants inside and out with salt and pepper.
• Heat fatback in casserole large enough to hold pheasants without crowding. Add necks and hearts. When fatback is slightly rendered add pheasants, placing them on one side. Cook about 3 minutes or until golden brown on one side and turn. Cook 2 or 3 minutes on second side until golden brown. Continue cooking and turning until golden brown. Browning time is 12 to 15 minutes.
• Add onion and garlic and stir. Cook about 3 minutes.
• Add wine and stir around bottom. Add apple slices and sauerkraut, distributing it over and around birds.
• Add broth, bay leaves, thyme, juniper berries, salt and pepper. Cover closely and cook 45 minutes to 1 hour or until pheasants are tender. Untruss pheasants and cut into serving pieces. Serve with sauerkraut and apples and buttered boiled potatoes.

BRAISED PHEASANT WITH RED CABBAGE WILD RICE

Steps:

• Make wild rice:
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a fine sieve rinse wild rice well and drain. In a small saucepan bring broth to a simmer. In a small flameproof casserole Sauté rice in oil over moderately high heat, stirring, 1 minute and stir in hot broth and salt and pepper to taste. Bring mixture to a boil and bake, covered, in middle of oven 1 hour, or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.
• While rice is cooking, in a 10-inch skillet cook bacon over moderate heat until crisp and transfer to paper towels to drain. Transfer all but 1 tablespoon drippings to a small bowl and reserve for cooking pheasant.
• Heat drippings remaining in skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté onion and cabbage, stirring, until softened. Add vinegar and salt and pepper to taste and sauté, stirring, 1 minute. Chop bacon. Just before serving, stir cabbage mixture and bacon into wild rice.
• Make pheasant while rice is cooking:
• Rinse pheasant under cold water and pat dry inside and out. Cut pheasant into 6 serving pieces, transferring feet, back, neck, and wing tips to a small saucepan. To saucepan add water and bay leaf and simmer, uncovered, 15 to 20 minutes, or until reduced to about 3/4 cup. Strain stock through a fine sieve into a heatproof bowl.
• In a small bowl stir together salt, pepper, and allspice. Pat pheasant dry again and sprinkle evenly with allspice mixture. In a 10-inch heavy ovenproof skillet heat oil with 1 tablespoon reserved drippings over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté pheasant until golden, about 5 minutes on each side. Transfer pheasant to a plate.
• In fat remaining in skillet cook raisins and shallots over moderate heat, stirring, until shallots are softened. Stir in gin and boil until most is evaporated. Stir in wine and boil until reduced by about half. Stir in stock, tomato paste, rosemary sprig, and salt and pepper to taste and bring sauce to a boil.
• Add pheasant to sauce, skin sides down, and braise, tightly covered, in middle of 350°F. oven until breast meat is cooked through and tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer breasts to a clean plate and keep warm, covered. Braise legs and thighs until cooked through and tender, about 10 minutes more. Transfer legs and thighs to plate and keep warm, covered. Stir minced rosemary and grapes into sauce and boil until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
• Divide pheasant between 2 dinner plates, spooning sauce over it, and serve with red cabbage wild rice.

BRAISED PHEASANT

Steps:

• Rinse pheasant thoroughly.
• Place in a roasting pan; sprinkle with salt and pepper, dredge with flour and dot with butter.
• Add 3/4 cup water and bake at 350F for about 1 1/4 hours or until tender.
• Baste frequently with sauce in pan.

PHEASANT WITH SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Wrap the pheasants with the bacon, securing it with string.
• Loosely tie the legs together.
• Melt the butter and oil in a heavy pan over moderate to high heat and fry the pheasants on all sides until the bacon fat starts to run.
• Drain the excess fat from the pan, reduce the heat and pour the wine over the pheasants.
• Add the peppercorns and bayleaves and bring the wine to simmering point.
• Cover the pan tightly and cook for 30-40 minutes, or until the birds are almost tender.
• Pack the sauerkraut around the sides of the birds and pour the beer over.
• Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, then add the sausage, cover and heat through.
• To serve, carefully lift the pheasants from the pan.
• Snip the string and remove without disturbing the bacon.
• Place the birds on a warmed serving dish and keep hot.
• Remove the sausage and set aside for a moment.
• Adjust the seasonings of the sauerkrat before arranging it around the pheasants.
• Discard the bayleaves and peppercorns if you find them.
• Quickly cut the sausage into 1cm slices and lay over the sauerkraut.
• Using snips or poultry shears, cut into halves or quarters to serve, trying not to disturb the bacon slices.