Pheasant With Limes

Our friend’s son is a hunter. But nobody from her family wants to bother with preparing pheasants. So, whenever there is a pheasant season, we get one The bird is usually tiny and it’s never enough for a family meal. I’d say it’s enough for two. But, removing feathers is quite easy, just start pulling them and they will go together with the skin. What is important when preparing any game meat is to marinate it overnight to tenderize it.

Marinade: Place pheasant into a bowl, rub it with some olive oil, add a couple of crushed bay leaves, dried thyme, slices of a half of onion, juice of one lime, black pepper seeds, sea salt, a rosemary branch, a small glass of cognac and white wine (enough that the whole bird is covered). Let marinate overnight, covered and in the fridge.

Pheasant with Limes

1 marinated pheasant (about 750 g)
4 limes
4 onions (about the same size as limes)
50 g prosciutto
100 ml white whine
50 ml cognac
100 g smetana (or sour cream)
60 g butter
1 Tbsp brown sugar
salt
ground black pepper
flat leaf parsley

Take pheasant out of the marinade and rub it with salt and pepper all over. Cover it’s breasts with prosciutto and then tie it with a kitchen rope. Fry the bird on 40 g butter on each side. Add wine and cook until alcohol evaporates a bit, then add onions cut in halves, 200 ml hot water and cook covered for 45 minutes.

In the meantime, heat remaining butter in another pan, add sugar, stir and place limes cut (lengthwise) in half in it (cuts facing sugar). Let limes caramelize a little then transfer them into the pan with the pheasant and cook for another 5 minutes. Heat cognac in a small pot, lite it up and quickly pour over the pheasant, after it stops burning, take the bird out of the pan on a plate and add smetana to the sauce. Cook until it thickens, adding a bit of flour if needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper and parsley.

Recipe adapted from Sale & Pepe Serbian issue for November 2008.