And now for something utterly fucking classy.
NORMALLY, I defer to the Grad Student Special, which is: "If it can be cooked with only a spoon and contains enough pasta to keep you fueled for three days straight, it's fucking awesome." Or perhaps more accurately, "This is simple, but it looks and tastes like you spent the whole day."
However, I AM a chef and I DO have some standards. Hence, we need a good, expensive bit of "Oh my GOD!?" dish once in awhile.
If you ever, EVER get the chance, eat Pheasant. It's really a lovely meat, and although I am a very big afficionado of steak, since it's uncommon, I've ordered Pheasant in a restaurant given the choice. Much, MUCH tastier than Chicken, but unfortuately not as common as it used to be in a restauraunt.
There was a high-end restaurant up the street from me over where I went to Bachelor's and Masters for University that served Pheasant saussage as a special every now and again, and I was more than happy to spend the money when it came up. However, my personal favorite way of serving Pheasant was Pheasant Souvarov.
You can imagine how excited I was when the food network's Christine Cushing offered up a recipie. I spent a lot of money trying it out and I suggest that if you find yourself with a surplus of cash and don't necessarily NEED a new cellphone or computer upgrade at the moment, go and try making this. At least you can wait until your next payday to make up the cash you blew on this food. I guarentee it'll be worth your time.
Pheasant Sovarov:
Ingreedients:
- 2 x 3 1/2 lb. pheasants (legs and breasts removed)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- splash of grape seed oil (I subbed in olive.)
- 1 cup of pearl onions, peeled (250 ml)
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 rib of celery
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 10 black peppercorns, crushed
- 4 juniper berries, crushed
- zest of 1/2 orange
- 1 1/2 tbsp of tomato puree (22 ml)
- 1/4 cup of gin (60 ml) (Also, the clasic martini goes so well with this recipie it's not funny. So get enough to serve some guests a cocktail.)
- 1 1/2 cup of good red wine (375 ml)
- 1/2 cup of port (125 ml)
- chicken stock
- 1 cup of button mushrooms (250 ml)
- 1 small black truffle (or ¼ tsp. truffle paste or truffle oil (1 ml))
- 2 oz foie gras, diced
Sealing Dough
- 2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour (625 ml)
- Pinch of salt
- Water, enough to form a stiff dough
Directions
1. Add a splash of oil to an oven-proof casserole (such as a Dutch oven or earthenware pot) and heat over medium high heat. Season the pheasant that has been removed from the bone with salt and pepper. Sear in the casserole until lightly golden brown all over. Remove from casserole and place to one side.
2. At this point, you can cut the thigh from the drumstick.
3. Chop the carcass of the pheasant into 2 to 3 pieces and brown lightly in casserole. Add the pearl onions, carrots and celery and continue to fry to lightly golden brown. Add the 2 cloves of garlic, thyme, bay leaf, peppercorn, juniper berries and orange zest. Continue to sauté and sizzle gently. Add the tomato puree and continue to sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the gin and carefully flame with a match. Add the red wine, port and reduce by one-third. Add enough chicken stock to cover the bones. Bring to a simmer. Skim as needed.
4. Season the drumstick of the pheasant with salt and pepper, Add to the casserole and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes.
5. After 20 minutes, the liquid in the pot should have slightly thickened and taken on a sauce-like consistency. Remove the pheasant (amusingly enough the original broadcast used the term 'carcass'), skim and adjust the seasoning. Remove from heat, add the thigh and breast of pheasant, followed by the mushrooms, truffle and foie gras.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
7. Roll the sealing dough into a sausage-like shape, about 1 ½-inch in diameter and long enough to wrap around the lip of the casserole where the lid sits. This dough will act as a seal as the souvarov cooks. It is important to make sure that you have a very good and airtight seal. If you wish you can brush the exposed edge of the dough with a little water and sprinkle with sea salt, for looks only. Transfer the entire casserole to the oven. Bake for 35 minutes. Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.
8. The best presentation of this dish is to carry the casserole to the serving table having hot plates and serving utensils at the ready. Cut open the crust. Gently lift the lid to reveal a delicious, extravagant and suspenseful dish of pheasant souvarov. Serve on hot plates along with the assortment of vegetables and a ladle of sauce.
Sealing Dough Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients well together to form a stiff but workable dough and allow to relax 30 to 40 minutes.
However, I AM a chef and I DO have some standards. Hence, we need a good, expensive bit of "Oh my GOD!?" dish once in awhile.
If you ever, EVER get the chance, eat Pheasant. It's really a lovely meat, and although I am a very big afficionado of steak, since it's uncommon, I've ordered Pheasant in a restaurant given the choice. Much, MUCH tastier than Chicken, but unfortuately not as common as it used to be in a restauraunt.
There was a high-end restaurant up the street from me over where I went to Bachelor's and Masters for University that served Pheasant saussage as a special every now and again, and I was more than happy to spend the money when it came up. However, my personal favorite way of serving Pheasant was Pheasant Souvarov.
You can imagine how excited I was when the food network's Christine Cushing offered up a recipie. I spent a lot of money trying it out and I suggest that if you find yourself with a surplus of cash and don't necessarily NEED a new cellphone or computer upgrade at the moment, go and try making this. At least you can wait until your next payday to make up the cash you blew on this food. I guarentee it'll be worth your time.
Pheasant Sovarov:
Ingreedients:
- 2 x 3 1/2 lb. pheasants (legs and breasts removed)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- splash of grape seed oil (I subbed in olive.)
- 1 cup of pearl onions, peeled (250 ml)
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 rib of celery
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 10 black peppercorns, crushed
- 4 juniper berries, crushed
- zest of 1/2 orange
- 1 1/2 tbsp of tomato puree (22 ml)
- 1/4 cup of gin (60 ml) (Also, the clasic martini goes so well with this recipie it's not funny. So get enough to serve some guests a cocktail.)
- 1 1/2 cup of good red wine (375 ml)
- 1/2 cup of port (125 ml)
- chicken stock
- 1 cup of button mushrooms (250 ml)
- 1 small black truffle (or ¼ tsp. truffle paste or truffle oil (1 ml))
- 2 oz foie gras, diced
Sealing Dough
- 2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour (625 ml)
- Pinch of salt
- Water, enough to form a stiff dough
Directions
1. Add a splash of oil to an oven-proof casserole (such as a Dutch oven or earthenware pot) and heat over medium high heat. Season the pheasant that has been removed from the bone with salt and pepper. Sear in the casserole until lightly golden brown all over. Remove from casserole and place to one side.
2. At this point, you can cut the thigh from the drumstick.
3. Chop the carcass of the pheasant into 2 to 3 pieces and brown lightly in casserole. Add the pearl onions, carrots and celery and continue to fry to lightly golden brown. Add the 2 cloves of garlic, thyme, bay leaf, peppercorn, juniper berries and orange zest. Continue to sauté and sizzle gently. Add the tomato puree and continue to sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the gin and carefully flame with a match. Add the red wine, port and reduce by one-third. Add enough chicken stock to cover the bones. Bring to a simmer. Skim as needed.
4. Season the drumstick of the pheasant with salt and pepper, Add to the casserole and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes.
5. After 20 minutes, the liquid in the pot should have slightly thickened and taken on a sauce-like consistency. Remove the pheasant (amusingly enough the original broadcast used the term 'carcass'), skim and adjust the seasoning. Remove from heat, add the thigh and breast of pheasant, followed by the mushrooms, truffle and foie gras.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
7. Roll the sealing dough into a sausage-like shape, about 1 ½-inch in diameter and long enough to wrap around the lip of the casserole where the lid sits. This dough will act as a seal as the souvarov cooks. It is important to make sure that you have a very good and airtight seal. If you wish you can brush the exposed edge of the dough with a little water and sprinkle with sea salt, for looks only. Transfer the entire casserole to the oven. Bake for 35 minutes. Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.
8. The best presentation of this dish is to carry the casserole to the serving table having hot plates and serving utensils at the ready. Cut open the crust. Gently lift the lid to reveal a delicious, extravagant and suspenseful dish of pheasant souvarov. Serve on hot plates along with the assortment of vegetables and a ladle of sauce.
Sealing Dough Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients well together to form a stiff but workable dough and allow to relax 30 to 40 minutes.