For 2 people: 1 young pheasant, 1 large slice fat unsmoked bacon, 8 juniper berries, black pepper, allspice, salt; 1 small glass dry white port wine; clarified butter (butaris) for roasting
Cut off lower thigh, pull out tendons with combination tongs. Rub the inside of the pheasant well with crushed juniper berries, allspice and pepper; salt. Above all, wrap the breast well with the bacon slice and tie tightly with string (twine). Brown well on all sides in hot clarified butter in a pan that fits as well as possible, but not too hot, salt on the outside. Pour off excess fat, add port wine, scrape the stock loose with a wooden spoon, put the pheasant in lying on its side, roast in a preheated oven (220°) first on one side, then on the other side for exactly 10 minutes each, remove the bacon slice, also salt and pepper the breast, place on the back and roast for a maximum of 20 minutes until done. Done.
Serve the breast first, meanwhile let the drumsticks finish cooking in the turned-off oven.
Sides: ex. Brussels sprouts purée: clean Brussels sprouts, peel potatoes, cut into small cubes, cook together with the cabbage in little water, a piece of butter, salt, pepper, a trace of nutmeg until done. Drain water well, add cream, mash with shredding stick, pour more cream if necessary, season again.
Wine: The best red Burgundy that lives in the cellar; classic would be Chambertin, Napoleon's favorite wine.
High above all birds soars the pheasant
.
When talking about the colorful bird that once came to us from the Caucasus in culinary terms, almost everyone can tell you about bad experiences with pheasant: tough, dry or both, they say. The same thing happened to me, but never when I ate pheasant in a top restaurant or prepared it myself. Renowned houses pay attention to the quality of their products, I have had to learn what is important with pheasant.
It must be young (hens are not hunted in Germany), which can be recognized by the fact that its spurs (on each heel) are short and blunt. A pheasant with a long, pointed spur, on the other hand, has already seen more than a year pass into the country; such a bird is useful for farces, and will make a good broth. If you roast it in one piece (the short roasted breast can usually be eaten), it will inevitably become tough and dry. So buy a pheasant from a trusted dealer, or buy only a bird whose remaining feet ("stand") give reliable information about its age.
But the pheasant must also be "wild" in order to live up to the high opinion that Brillat-Savarin, for example, had of it: "High above all birds hovers the pheasant". For Horst Schmidt, hunting leaseholder and game dealer, neither age nor taste in game is a problem. Firstly, he sells only young birds from his own hunting grounds (as well as from the Taunus and the Wetterau) (approx. 6.50 to 9 €); secondly, his pheasants do not grow up in aviaries. In order, more or less shortly before the beginning of the hunting season "ausgewildert" to be. Because such a pheasant can hardly have a gamey taste and differs only slightly from a guinea fowl. Horst Schmidt knows what he's talking about, he's known hunting since he was 6 years old, leased his first own in 1959. The business, a full-line district store, has been in Oederweg since 1967.
Since Oct. 1, hunting has been open, fresh pheasants are available, one of the increasingly rare victuals that can't be bought year-round. Although pheasant hunting does not end until early January, so there would still be time, it is advisable to secure one as soon as possible. Because the earlier in the autumn, the better they are, still Delektieren themselves pheasants nevertheless still at all kinds of grains, corn above all, which helps them to a thin fat layer under the skin.
That pheasants corn like make themselves, the hunters of course to use. A cornfield is surrounded, dogs chase up the birds, and then the shot flies. Slightly shot pheasants return by the way soon; it is already what to the widespread opinion, the pheasant is not the smartest, means also hunter Schmidt.
Pheasants of the quality described above, one is enough well for 2 persons, so to roast that joy comes up with the meal, is not difficult. One of the most important utensils is a kitchen alarm clock. Little is needed in the way of ingredients; the Schmidts keep just about all of them, including suitable wines, on hand in their shop.
Feinkost Horst Schmidt
Oederweg 55-57
60318 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: 069 - 556650
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 8am-6.30pm, Sat 7.30am-1pm
from Waldemar Thomas