Casseroled pheasant

This casserole dish is also known as “Faison en barbouille.”  "En barbouillé" is a French phrase that can be translated to mean something like "smudged," "messy," or "smeared.”  Ah, in a cooking context, "en barbouille" refers to a rustic French dish, where meat is simmered in a rich sauce.  It works extremely well with pheasant – even if the pheasant is a little high!

Preparation Time: 15 Mins

Cooking Time: 90 Mins

Total Time: 105 Mins

Ingredients

For 4 servings…

1                    Pheasant   

1 tbs               Butter       

1 tbs               Olive oil     

1 tbvs              Brandy      

2                    Carrots  - chopped    

1                    Onion  - chopped finely          

1½ tbs            Flour        

1                    Bay leaf     

1 pinch            Thyme  - dried        

1                    Bouquet garni          

1 clove             Garlic  - crushed       

  Pepper  - mignonette        

½ tsp              Salt          

30 cl               Wine  - red 

8                    Onions  - pickling     

8                    Mushrooms  - stems cut off     

340 gms           Chestnuts  - cooked   

2 slices            Pork fat     

To thicken the sauce

1 tbs               Flour        

1 tbs               Butter       

Method

Quarter the pheasant, reserving the carcass for game stock.  Sauté the four sections in the butter and oil in a large flameproof casserole until lightly browned.  Pour the brandy over them and set it alight.

When the flame dies down, remove the pheasant from the pan.

Add the carrots and onion to the remaining fat in the pan and sauté until they are browned.  Stir in the flour and cook for one minute.  Add the bay leaf, thyme and bouquet garni, garlic, salt and pepper, pour in the wine and stir until the sauce thickens.  Add the pickling onions and return the pheasant to the casserole.

Cover and simmer for 40 minutes.

Add the mushrooms (with stems cut off), the chestnuts and the diced salt pork - sautéed.  Simmer for a further 30 minutes, or until the pheasant is tender.  If desired, thicken the sauce with some beurre manié (some extra flour mixed with some extra butter).  Adjust the seasoning to taste and then serve on a platter.

Variations

Shallots can be used in place of the pickling onions.

Wine recommendations

A robust red wine.

Conventional

     Côtes du Rhône Villages

Interesting

     Bourgueil

     Côtes du Luberon

     Irouleguy

Special

     Châteauneuf-du-Pape

     Saint Joseph