Recipe: Pheasant with Oyster Stuffing
Page: 161
Date Cooked: December 1, 2012
Jonathan Waxman starts this recipe off stating how "pheasants are now plentiful in the markets." Unfortunately for me, my market didn't have any pheasants and was unable to order them in for me (which for other ingredients in the past they usually have done). Nonetheless, Thanksgiving inspiration struck and I decided to use a turkey instead. I made sure to scale up the ingredients accordingly. This recipe became Thanksgiving Part II for me. I also had to employ two substitutions: frozen corn in place of fresh corn and escarole instead of radicchio.
I cut the baguette into cubes and smashed 2 cloves of garlic. I melted butter in a skillet and added the garlic and baguette cubes. I sauteed the bread until golden brown. I also sauteed the corn with some butter, salt, and pepper.
I julienned the prosciutto; chopped the oysters; chopped the oregano, sage, and tarragon leaves; and julienned the escarole. I then combined all the ingredients together, along with some melted butter, to form the stuffing.
I placed the stuffing into the cavity of the turkey and sewed it up with butcher's twine. I also sewed up the neck cavity, making sure the turkey was watertight.
The original recipe called for browning the pheasants in a Dutch oven. This wasn't feasible given the size of the turkey. So I diverted a bit on this step and browned the turkey in the oven for a bit. While the turkey browned, I cut the onion and put together a bouquet garni. I salt and peppered the turkey. I poured the Cabernet in the roasting pan and added the onions, garlic, and bouquet garni.
I covered the turkey with foil and roasted it in the oven, making sure to baste the turkey regularly with the braising liquid.
I transferred the turkey to a platter and covered it to keep warm. I strained the cooking liquid through a cheesecloth-lined sieve into a saucepan. I reduced the cooking liquid and added in butter to finish the sauce.
While the sauce reduced, I cut away the twine and removed the stuffing from the turkey. I carved the turkey. And then it was time to plate. I placed turkey pieces alongside some stuffing and spooned the sauce over the turkey.
This was the perfect recipe for my Thanksgiving Part II. It was delicious. The turkey was cooked just right (whew). So it was good knowing that this recipe translated well. The stuffing was perfect! I mean what's not to love? Prosciutto and oysters with great herbs and butter - it all works. The wine reduction sauce was also a great addition. It was flavorful and light, which was good considering there was so much fat in the stuffing. All in all, it was a great recipe and coincidentally Holiday appropriate!
Page: 161
Date Cooked: December 1, 2012
Jonathan Waxman starts this recipe off stating how "pheasants are now plentiful in the markets." Unfortunately for me, my market didn't have any pheasants and was unable to order them in for me (which for other ingredients in the past they usually have done). Nonetheless, Thanksgiving inspiration struck and I decided to use a turkey instead. I made sure to scale up the ingredients accordingly. This recipe became Thanksgiving Part II for me. I also had to employ two substitutions: frozen corn in place of fresh corn and escarole instead of radicchio.
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| Ingredients: Baguette, garlic, unsalted butter, corn, salt, pepper, oysters with juices, prosciutto, oregano, sage, tarragon, escarole, turkey, onions, and Cabernet Sauvignon |
I cut the baguette into cubes and smashed 2 cloves of garlic. I melted butter in a skillet and added the garlic and baguette cubes. I sauteed the bread until golden brown. I also sauteed the corn with some butter, salt, and pepper.
 |
| Left: Sauteing baguette cubes Right: Sauteing corn |
I julienned the prosciutto; chopped the oysters; chopped the oregano, sage, and tarragon leaves; and julienned the escarole. I then combined all the ingredients together, along with some melted butter, to form the stuffing.
 |
| Oyster Stuffing |
I placed the stuffing into the cavity of the turkey and sewed it up with butcher's twine. I also sewed up the neck cavity, making sure the turkey was watertight.
 |
| Stuffed turkey |
The original recipe called for browning the pheasants in a Dutch oven. This wasn't feasible given the size of the turkey. So I diverted a bit on this step and browned the turkey in the oven for a bit. While the turkey browned, I cut the onion and put together a bouquet garni. I salt and peppered the turkey. I poured the Cabernet in the roasting pan and added the onions, garlic, and bouquet garni.
 |
| Stuffed turkey with braising Cabernet |
I covered the turkey with foil and roasted it in the oven, making sure to baste the turkey regularly with the braising liquid.
 |
| Finished turkey |
I transferred the turkey to a platter and covered it to keep warm. I strained the cooking liquid through a cheesecloth-lined sieve into a saucepan. I reduced the cooking liquid and added in butter to finish the sauce.
 |
| Reducing the cooking liquid |
While the sauce reduced, I cut away the twine and removed the stuffing from the turkey. I carved the turkey. And then it was time to plate. I placed turkey pieces alongside some stuffing and spooned the sauce over the turkey.
 |
| Turkey with Oyster Stuffing |
This was the perfect recipe for my Thanksgiving Part II. It was delicious. The turkey was cooked just right (whew). So it was good knowing that this recipe translated well. The stuffing was perfect! I mean what's not to love? Prosciutto and oysters with great herbs and butter - it all works. The wine reduction sauce was also a great addition. It was flavorful and light, which was good considering there was so much fat in the stuffing. All in all, it was a great recipe and coincidentally Holiday appropriate!
Enjoy!
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