Girl Hunter Part 9

1 tablespoon grape seed oil

3 shallots, minced

1/4 cup vermouth

12 juniper berries, crushed

1/4 cup gin

4 cups game bird stock (page 212)

2 tablespoons b.u.t.ter

Salt and pepper

1. Drape the bacon over the bird and truss the bird with kitchen twine, toothpicks, or a combination, so the fat is fastened to the bird.

2. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed ovenproof pot with a lid. Brown the bird on all sides, about 10 minutes, until the bacon fat is well rendered. Be careful not to turn the bird if the bacon sticks to the pot, otherwise it will tear. Instead let the bacon render and crisp until the bird can be easily rotated. Once the bacon has been crisped, remove the birds from the pan and set aside.

3. Add the shallots to the pan and let sweat until soft. Add the vermouth to the pan and deglaze. Sc.r.a.pe up any brown bits from the pan with a spatula.

4. Add the juniper berries and gin. Lay in the pheasant and pour the stock over it. Cover and cook for 30 to 35 minutes.

5. Remove the pheasant from the pot and peel off the bacon. Reduce the sauce and whisk in the b.u.t.ter. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Quarter the pheasant and add it back to the broth. Serve this dish in shallow bowls with fresh ravioli as a bed for the pheasant.

Also try: prairie chicken, partridge, quail, turkey, squirrel, rabbit

Apple WoodSmoked Pheasant

Serves 2 to 4 Smoking is a great technique for a whole bird that is unblemished and worthy of a table centerpiece. Because game birds dry out quickly, it is necessary to brine the pheasant first. This also works very well with birds that have redder breast meat and ones with a thicker, fattier skin, such as a speckled goose or mallard. As for smoking wood, this recipe calls for apple wood, but more important, use a wood that is local to your region. In the South, it's pecan; in the Southwest, it's mesquite; in Was.h.i.+ngton state, it's apple wood; in the Midwest, it's hickory.

Brine: 4 cups water

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup salt

1/2 tablespoon mustard seeds

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon crushed black pepper

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

To Smoke and Serve: 1 whole pheasant, skin on or quartered pheasant, skin on or off

Goose or duck fat or smoked bacon strips

Barbecue sauce (page 227) (optional)

To Brine: 1. Combine all brine ingredients and bring to a boil.

2. Remove from the heat and let cool.

3. Add the bird and submerge, covering with a plate or some other weight so it stays completely submerged in liquid.

4. For a whole bird, refrigerate in brine for 8 hours; for a quartered bird, refrigerate for 4.

5. Remove and pat dry and let rest on a rack in the refrigerator for at least 3 and up to 24 hours before cooking.

To Smoke and Serve: 1. Stabilize the smoker at a temperature of 200F, using apple wood chips.

2. Cover the bird with fat or strips of bacon. You may need to secure it with toothpicks or kitchen twine. Smoke the bird for 45 minutes, turning once.

3. Slice against the grain and serve with barbecue sauce, or serve cold on a sandwich.

Also try: dove, grouse, prairie chicken, partridge, goose, duck, coot, pigeon, ptarmigan, quail, rail, turkey

Grouse with Cabbage and Chestnuts

Serves 4 Grouse meat is dark red with a rich game flavor. Ruffed grouse have the strongest game flavor, which in my opinion is wonderful. The meat of the older birds can be tough and all of it will dry out easily if you are not careful. More than any other game bird, grouse need to be kept moist while cooking. This is best done with the help of goose fat and bacon. The French always viewed grouse legs as bitter and I notice that many people still use them solely for stock or gravy. At the very least, give the young ones a chance and try them whole sometime.

4 grouse, whole and skin on

Salt and pepper

Juice of 1 lemon