Braised Pheasant with Red Cabbage Wild Rice

Braised Pheasant with Red Cabbage Wild Rice
Serves 2

FOR WILD RICE
1/2 cup Wild rice
1 cup Chicken broth
1 Tbs Olive oil
4 slice Bacon
1 sm Onion, sliced thin
2 cup Thinly sliced red cabbage, (about 1/6 head)
2 tsp Red-wine vinegar

FOR PHEASANT

2 lbs pheasant*
1 1/2 cup Water
1 Bay leaf
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Black pepper
1/4 tsp Ground allspice
1 1/2 Tbs Olive oil
1/3 cup Golden raisins
1/4 cup Minced shallots, (about 3)
1/4 cup Gin
1/2 cup Dry white wine
1 tsp Tomato paste
3-inch fresh rosemary sprig plus
1/2 tsp Minced leaves
1/2 cup Halved red and/or green seedless grapes

*Pheasant is available at specialty butcher shops if you don't raise them

To make wild rice:

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a fine sieve rinse wild rice well and drain. In a small saucepan bring broth to a simmer.

In a small flameproof casserole Saute rice in oil over moderately high heat, stirring, 1 minute and stir in hot broth and salt and pepper to taste Bring mixture to a boil and bake, covered, in middle of oven 1 hour, or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

While rice is cooking, in a 10-inch skillet cook bacon over moderate heat until crisp and transfer to paper towels to drain.

Transfer all but 1 tablespoon drippings to a small bowl and reserve for cooking pheasant.

Heat drippings remaining in skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and saute onion and cabbage, stirring, until softened. Add vinegar and salt and pepper to taste and sauté, stirring, 1 minute. Chop bacon. Just before serving, stir cabbage mixture and bacon into wild rice.

Make pheasant while rice is cooking:

Rinse pheasant under cold water and pat dry inside and out. Cut pheasant into 6 serving pieces, transferring feet, back, neck, and wing tips to a small saucepan.

To the saucepan add water and bay leaf then simmer, uncovered, 15 to 20 minutes, or until reduced to about 3/4 cup. Strain stock through a fine sieve into a heat proof bowl.

In a small bowl stir together salt, pepper, and allspice. Pat pheasant dry again and sprinkle evenly with allspice mixture. In a 10-inch heavy oven proof skillet heat oil with 1 tablespoon reserved drippings over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and saute pheasant until golden, about 5 minutes on each side. Transfer pheasant to a plate.

In fat remaining in skillet cook raisins and shallots over moderate heat, stirring, until shallots are softened. Stir in gin and boil until most is evaporated. Stir in wine and boil until reduced by about half. Stir in stock, tomato paste, rosemary sprig, and salt and pepper to taste and bring sauce to a boil.

Add pheasant to sauce, skin sides down, and braise, tightly covered, in middle of 350F. oven until breast meat is cooked through and tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer breasts to a clean plate and keep warm, covered.

Braise legs and thighs until cooked through and tender, about 10 minutes more. Transfer legs and thighs to plate and keep warm, covered.

Stir minced rosemary and grapes into sauce and boil until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.

Divide pheasant between 2 dinner plates, spooning sauce over it, and serve with red cabbage wild rice.