Oven-Braised Pheasant with Sauerkraut

* Exported from MasterCook *

Oven-Braised Pheasant with Sauerkraut

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Poultry

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/2 ts Dried thyme or I sprig
-fresh
2 sl Lean bacon, diced
2 Pheasants, 2 lb each *
3 lb Sauerkraut, thoroughly
-rinsed and drained
1 1/2 c Dry white wine
1 t Juniper berries (about 20)
2 Cloves
1 Bay leaf
Defatted chicken stock or
-water
Salt and freshly ground
-black pepper to taste

* skinned, trimmed of fat and cut into serving pieces (backbones included)
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. In a large Dutch oven, saute bacon over
medium heat until crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Add legs, backs and wings and
brown in batches on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes. (Refrigerate breast pieces,
covered, until needed.) Add sauerkraut, wine, Juniper berries, thyme,
cloves and bay leaf to the Dutch oven. Cook over medium heat until about
half the liquid has evaporated, about 10 to 15 minutes. Place the Dutch
oven in the oven, uncovered.
Bake for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally and adding liquid as needed,
until the legs are tender and the sauerkraut is slightly browned. Remove
the Dutch oven from the oven, discard backs, wings and bay leaf, season to
taste, cover and keep warm. Raise the oven temperature to 425 degrees F.
Salt and pepper pheasant breasts and place them on a rack in a roasting
pan. Roast them for 20 to 25 minutes, or until juices run clear when they
are pierced with a fork. Remove the breasts from the roasting pan, set
aside and keep warm. Reheat the legs in the Dutch oven briefly. Slice the
meat from the breasts and lay it over the legs and sauerkraut.



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