Taste of the Wild
Enlightened hunters pursue the sensuous: beautiful renditions of familiar plants and animals, appreciated and prepared in unexpected ways. As one more animal in the food chain, these&nb...
An old family recipe from Western Meat Collective founder Danielle Davis
Ingredients
- 8–10 pheasant legs (skin on or off)
- Olive oil
- 4 large shallots, chopped
- ¾ cup diced pancetta (or bacon or guanciale)
- ¾ cup dried currants (or dried plums or cherries)
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 cup chicken stock (preferably stock that uses all chicken parts, including feet, to make it gelatinous for sauces)
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon quality balsamic vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic, whole
- 1 teaspoon flour
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Season pheasant legs with salt and pepper.
Oil a large Dutch oven or deep saut pan and turn stove to medium-high. Brown pheasant legs 1 to 2 minutes on each side, allowing fat to render if skin is kept on. Remove from heat and set aside.
Add olive oil, shallots, and pancetta to the pan; sprinkle with kosher salt. Once shallots are slightly softened and the pancetta is crisping up, add currants and bay leaves. Return the pheasant legs to the skillet, turning heat to very low.
Combine stock, wine, and vinegar. Pour in just enough of the liquid to leave the tops of the legs uncovered.
Cover and cook until the meat is so tender it pulls easily off of the bone, about 2 hours. Remove legs and bay leaves. To finish the sauce, turn heat up to medium and sprinkle in flour to thicken, only as needed.
Serve on top of polenta and drizzle with sauce for a comforting cold-weather dish.
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