Pheasant and Cheese Polenta
A medley of wild mushrooms, cooked separately to keep their own character is a woodsy garnish for the tender pheasant; creamy polenta flecked with Cheddar cheese completes the presentation. The stock may be prepared up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated, tightly covered. The sauce, polenta, and mushrooms may all be made up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated.
Ingredients
- Pheasants - 4, about 2 pounds each, feathers and innards removed
- Pheasant Stock
- Onion - 1, quartered
- Carrot - 1, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- Celery Stalk - 1, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- White peppercorns - 8
- Fresh Parsley Stems - 6
- Reserved carcasses and wings from pheasants, above
- Polenta
- Milk - 3 cups
- Unsalted Butter - 2 tablespoons
- Cornmeal - 1 cup
- Cheddar cheese - 3/4 cup, grated
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Nutmeg - 1/2 teaspoon, grated
- Sauce
- Shallots - 4, minced
- Dry White Vermouth - 1-1/2 cups
- Star Anise - 1
- Orange Zest - 1/4 teaspoon, grated
- Shiitake and Oyster Mushrooms stems - below
- Pheasant Stock - 4 cups, above
- Pheasant Stock - 4 cups, above
- Cornstarch - 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 teaspoon water
- Wild Mushrooms
- Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons
- Shiitake Mushrooms - 8 ounces, stemmed (reserve stems for sauce)
- Rendered duck fat or vegetable oil - 2 tablespoons
- Morel Mushrooms or sliced Portobello Mushrooms - 8 ounces (2-1/2 cups)
- Clarified Butter - 2 tablespoons
- Oyster Mushrooms - 8 ounces, stemmed (reserve stems for sauce)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Olive Oil - 4 tablespoons
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Peas - 1/4 cup, or 1/2 cup chopped green beans
- Ripe Tomatoes - 1 small, peeled, seeded, and finely diced
Instructions
To prepare the pheasants: Remove the heads at the base of the neck, if attached. Remove the feet at the first joint with a cleaver, then remove the wings from the body with a sharp knife. Cut off the breasts and thighs, cover, and refrigerate. Set the carcass and wings aside.
To make the pheasant stock: Combine the onion, carrot, and celery in a heavy pot with the peppercorns and parsley stems. Add the pheasant carcasses and wings, then add water to cover, about 3 to 4 quarts. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, skimming the scum from the surface as the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 3 to 4 hours; there should be 4 cups of stock remaining. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve lined with cheesecloth, discard the solids, and set the stock aside.
To make the polenta: Place the milk and butter in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal, stirring vigorously. Stir for 5 minutes over low heat. Remove the pan from the heat and add the Cheddar cheese, stirring until incorporated. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
