Roasted Pheasants With Oyster Stuffing Food

EMERIL'S FAVORITE ROAST PHEASANT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F and position the oven rack in the bottom third of the oven.
• Season the cavities and the outside of each pheasant liberally with salt and pepper. Divide the chopped onion and carrot equally among the cavities of the pheasants. Squeeze the juice from both halves of the orange and set aside. Cut 1 of the squeezed halves into 3 pieces, and tuck inside of the cavities along with the veggies. Insert 1sprig of thyme into the cavity of each pheasant.
• Arrange the pheasants in a large roasting pan, breast sides up. Lay 2 strips of bacon over the top of each pheasant, cutting the bacon into pieces if necessary to cover as much of the pheasant as possible. Roast for 15 minutes, then remove the bacon strips and continue roasting for approximately 30 to 40 minutes, or until the juices run clear. (It is important to not overcook the pheasants, as they are very lean birds.) Remove the pheasants from the oven and transfer to a serving platter, loosely tented, while you make the sauce.
• Using a spoon, carefully remove as much extra fat from the pan as possible. Place the roasting pan over high heat and, when hot, deglaze with the reserved orange juice and Madeira, using a wooden spoon to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. When the orange juice and Madeira have reduced by half, add the chicken stock and continue to cook until sauce has reduced enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3 to 4 minutes. Swirl in the butter and remove from the heat. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• Remove the back bone from each pheasant, then cut along the breast bone to divide the birds into two halves. Serve 1/2 pheasant per person, napped with some of the sauce and with some of the Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding.
• Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over high heat. Add the onions and cook until golden brown and tender, 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon of the garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the Essence, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 3/4 teaspoon of the pepper, and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are tender and have given off their liquid, about 5 minutes. Add the beer and cook, stirring, to deglaze the pan and until the mixture is almost dry, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
• In a large bowl, combine the eggs, cream, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of Essence, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and whisk well to combine. Add the mushroom mixture and cheeses and stir well. Add the bread cubes and let sit until the bread has absorbed the liquid, 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with the butter. Add the bread crumbs, shaking to cover the bottom evenly. Pour the bread pudding mixture into the prepared pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 1 hour and uncover. Continue baking until risen and firm in the center, and golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before serving.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
• Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

OYSTER STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter, and set aside.
• Sprinkle a layer of crushed soda crackers on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange a layer of oysters, along with their juices, on top of the crackers. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and dot with a few pats of butter. Repeat, beginning with another layer of crackers. Top with a final layer of soda crackers and then pour the cream over everything. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and paprika. Bake until golden brown and bubbly, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

ROASTED PHEASANTS WITH OYSTER STUFFING

Steps:

• Drain oysters, reserving liquid; coarsely chop oysters. In a large bowl, combine the oysters and liquid, stuffing mixes, 3/4 cup broth, onion, celery and egg substitute. Loosely stuff into pheasants. Skewer or fasten openings. Tie drumsticks together. Place breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan. , Combine Worcestershire sauce and remaining broth; spoon over pheasants. Sprinkle with poultry seasoning. Place three bacon strips over each pheasant. , Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours or until a thermometer reads 180° for poultry and 165° for stuffing. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes before removing stuffing and slicing.

ROASTED STUFFED PHEASANT WITH FRESH CORN SAUCE

Steps:

• To prepare the stuffing: Melt the butter in a saute pan over low heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for 20 minutes, or until the onion is cooked through but not brown. Set aside. Put the crackers in a large bowl, add the egg, the cooked onion and celery, the sage, roasted corn, chicken stock, salt, and pepper and mix well. To stuff and roast the pheasant: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Season the pheasant cavity with some of the salt and pepper, then put the stuffing inside. Truss with skewers or tie with butcher's twine. Season the bird with the remaining salt and pepper. Lay the bacon over the breast. Place the pheasant on a metal roasting rack set inside a roasting pan and place on the middle rack of the oven. Roast for 25 minutes, basting the legs once or twice with the pan juices. After 25 minutes raise the temperature to 450 degrees and finish the bird for 10 minutes more, or until golden brown with an internal temperature of about 140 degrees near the thigh. To prepare the sauce: While the pheasant is roasting, puree the corn kernels in a food processor. You should have about 2 cups of pure. Place in a small saucepan with the habanero. Bring the juice to 200 degrees. Do not boil or the sauce will break. Add the lime juice and salt. To serve: Let the bird rest for 5 minutes before carving. Take the bacon off the breast and carve the bird, dividing the breast and thighs. Serve with the corn sauce and sauteed leeks.

OYSTER STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9- by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• Add the cornbread, parsley and rosemary to a large mixing bowl. Heat 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the celery, green onions and bell pepper to the skillet and saute until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and melt. Add the cooked vegetables and melted butter into the bowl with the cornbread and stir to combine. Pour the milk, oysters and reserved oyster juice over the cornbread, then season with the garlic powder, 2 teaspoons salt and some pepper. Pour in the chicken stock and eggs and stir until well combined and cohesive. Spread into the prepared baking dish.
• Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake, about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the top begins to brown, about 30 minutes more.

OYSTER STUFFING

Steps:

• Put the oysters in a strainer over a medium bowl to catch their liquor. Reserve 3/4 cup of the oyster liquor. In a large bowl, combine the crumbled cornbread and oysters.
• Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the bacon and cook for 1 minute. Drain and pat dry with a paper towel.
• Melt 1/2 cup of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the foaming subsides, add the bacon, shallot, celery, salt, and season with pepper, to taste. Cook, stirring, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the parsley, thyme, reserved oyster liquor, and vermouth and bring to a boil. Transfer the shallot-herb mixture to the cornbread and oysters and stir to combine. Set aside for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Transfer the cornbread mixture to a buttered 1-quart gratin dish, dot with the remaining butter, and bake until browned and crusty, about 1 hour.
• Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
• Butter a 3 1/4 x 5 3/4 x 2-inch loaf pan. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the egg and combine with the milk. Pour the milk mixture into the cornmeal mixture and mix lightly with a rubber spatula until a thick batter is formed. Stir in the melted butter until just incorporated.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool.
• Yield: 1 small loaf of cornbread

ROAST PHEASANT WITH WILD RICE STUFFING

Steps:

• Wipe the pheasants with paper towels and leave them to air-dry overnight (or longer) in a cool place. Soak the rice overnight in water to cover. Drain.
• Bring the chicken broth to a boil and slowly add the rice. Cover and simmer for one hour over low heat. Remove the rice from the pan and place it on paper towels to dry.
• Melt the butter and saute the onions until they are soft. Add the mushrooms and celery and cook until the mushrooms begin to yield their juice.
• Remove from the heat and add the grapes, Sherry and salt and pepper to taste. Mix in the wild rice. Stuff into the cavity of the birds and truss.
• Place the birds on a spit and roast, turning occasionally, for 40 minutes or until they are tender.

ROAST PHEASANT STUFFED WITH CHESTNUT BREAD DRESSING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine all ingredients except butter and pheasants with 1/2 cup of broth in a large bowl. Add 6 tablespoons of the butter. Stir until mixture is well combined.
• Clean the insides of the birds well with a damp cloth. Fill each bird with as much of the dressing as it will comfortably hold. Pin or stitch the cavity closed. Place the remaining dressing in a casserole. Set aside.
• Brush the remaining butter over the skin of each pheasant. Place pheasants in a large, deep roasting pan, breast side down. Cover. Roast for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, stir enough chicken broth into the remaining dressing to moisten it to your taste.
• Reduce heat to 350 degrees. Uncover. Place dressing in oven with pheasants. Roast pheasants until juices run clear when pricked with a fork in the thickest part, about 30 additional minutes. Remove pheasants and dressing from oven.
• Remove the birds from the pan. Let stand for 10 minutes. Cut each bird in half lengthwise. Serve, passing additional dressing separately.