This pheasant dish is a good opportunity to use cuts many bird hunters normally wouldn’t know what to do with. (Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley photo)
I have a couple of friends known for their buffalo chicken dip, which they could always be depended on to bring to parties. This pheasant dip is the wild game version of that. However, where they use canned chicken breast, this recipe takes a bit more effort to slow cook game birds — but it’s worth it and a good opportunity to use cuts many bird hunters normally wouldn’t know what to do with. This is a great recipe for pheasant legs and thighs. I recommend braising the meat the day ahead, mixing all the ingredients together and pouring it into a baking dish to refrigerate overnight. Before your guests arrive, pop it into the oven to heat through.
Servings: 6-8 appetizers
Prep Time: 4 hours
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients 8 pheasant thighs and legs, skinned 1 quart of chicken broth 1 package of cream cheese, softened ½ cup of ranch dressing ½ cup of buffalo wings sauce, or to taste 4 scallions, white and light green parts chopped ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, plus extra Chopped chives for garnish Your favorite chips or crackers Cooking Directions Place pheasant legs in a slow cooker and submerge with chicken broth. Cook on high for about 3-4 hours or until meat is tender; do not overcook meat until mushy. Then, remove pheasant and discard cooking liquids. Gently wash off any impurities/foam that may be coating the meat. When cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones and shred into smaller pieces. Discard any chewy connective tissue that did not break down. Look for bird shot. You should end up with about 2 cups of meat. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium to large bowl, gently whip softened cream cheese. Then add shredded pheasant meat, ranch dressing, hot sauce, sharp cheddar cheese, and chopped scallions. Add more ranch dressing if mixture looks dry. Lightly grease a small baking dish. Pour in dip mixture and sprinkle with more sharp cheddar cheese on top. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 25-30 minutes, or until dip is heated through and cheese on top is melted. (Or heat dip in a slow cooker on low.) Garnish with chives and serve dip with your favorite chips and crackers.
