Pheasant and tarragon is a classic pairing to which a cream sauce adds a tasty twist. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley)
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Pheasant and tarragon is a classic pairing. It’s one I learned from a friend and coworker: Scott Wessel. He is a private lands biologist with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, and after guiding a pheasant hunt a couple winters ago—with me running the camera—we returned to our lodges chilled to the bone, but with a few freshly killed birds and hungry appetites.
The pheasants were breasted out and cut into pieces. They were dredged in flour and browned in butter. Then Scott poured fresh cream over them, sprinkled in some tarragon, and let it slowly simmer until tender. It was hunt camp cooking at its best—quick and uncomplicated.
But sorry, this is not that recipe. With a well-equipped kitchen at my disposal, and some dedicated time to cooking, I needed to take Scott’s recipe a step further. Not only do I pluck my pheasants whole, but I also let them hang for about a week to age—when possible. Aging allows muscles to relax and the flavors of the meat to develop. It’s a worthwhile process that ends in a more tender and flavorful bird.
To age, you must choose a pheasant that hasn’t been shot through the gut. Let it hang in a space, such as your garage, that is above freezing but below 45 degrees for 6-7 days. If you have an extra refrigerator that keeps an even temperature, that would be ideal. After the pheasant has been aged, carefully pluck it and proceed to gutting as usual. (The first time I did this, I was nervous about the guts being extra stinky. But with the temperature being so low, bacteria become slow growing, therefore halting rot.) From here, you can proceed to cook your bird or vacuum seal it and freeze for another day.
Or, you can just breast out the birds, ignore all the extra work above, and go straight to making the tarragon cream sauce. It’ll still taste good. Serve this dish with the rest of the white wine—I suggest Chardonnay.
Roasted Pheasant with Tarragon Cream Sauce Recipe Serves: 2 Prep Time: 6 hours Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
1 whole pheasant, skin on (preferably aged, see intro) 1 tablespoon melted butter Paprika, to taste Brine:
4 cups water ¼ cup Kosher salt ¼ cup brown sugar Tarragon Cream Sauce:
1 shallot, minced 1 tablespoon butter ½ teaspoon dried tarragon ½ cup dry white wine ½ cup heavy cream Salt and pepper, to taste Directions:
Wash pheasant thoroughly with cold water. To make the brine, combine 4 cups of water with ¼ cup of Kosher salt and ¼ cup of brown sugar in a medium bowl—stir until all granules have dissolved. Submerge pheasant into the brine, using a heavy plate to keep the bird submerged. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours; the longer the pheasant sits in the brine, the saltier it will get. (Multiply the brine mixture as necessary.) Beware of brine time; the longer the pheasant is in the brine, the saltier it will be. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the pheasant from the brine and pat very well with paper towels, especially the skin. Brush melted butter all over the pheasant and rub with paprika. Lay the pheasant into a rimmed cookie sheet or an ovenproof pan, propping it up with celery sticks or sliced carrots if necessary—a trick I learned from Hank Shaw at Hunter Angler Gardener Cook. Truss the bird or tie the legs together if you like. Brush the pheasant with melted butter and parika to add flavor before roasting. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley) Bake the pheasant in a 450-degree oven for 15 minutes. Then take the bird out of the oven and lower the heat to 350 degrees. Return the bird to the oven and cook until the internal temperature of the thigh reads 155-160 degrees F. I used a probe thermometer to be sure, and it took an additional 15-20 minutes to cook the bird the rest of the way at 350. Allow the bird to rest for 5-10 minutes before you cut into it. While the bird is cooking in step 2, make the tarragon sauce. Begin by melting 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat, add minced shallot and sauté for a minute to soften, then add the dried tarragon and white wine. Bring to a simmer and reduce the wine by 2/3. Lower heat and mix in the cream. Heat through, but never let it boil, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm (reheat on low) with roasted pheasant.
