PHEASANT BRAISED WITH GIN AND JUNIPER
3 to 4 servings
While there is quite a bit of gin in the braising liquid, do not worry: The sauce does not come out tasting like a cocktail. Please read About Wildfowl and About Pheasant.
Pat dry:
- One 3- to 3 ½-pound pheasant
Cut the bird into 6 pieces—2 legs and 4 breast pieces (cut each breast crosswise in half). Season with:
- Salt and black pepper
Heat in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Working in batches, brown the pheasant on both sides. Transfer to a plate. Add to the pot and cook, stirring, until softened:
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
Add:
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock or broth
- ⅔ cup gin
- ¼ cup dry sherry
- ½ teaspoon juniper berries, crushed
- 1 bay leaf
Scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the pheasant legs to the pot, reserving the breasts. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a very gentle simmer, cover the pot, and cook at a bare simmer for 30 minutes. Add the breasts to the pot, cover, and cook until the pheasant is tender and the juices from the breast run light pink or clear when pierced, about 15 minutes more. Transfer the pheasant to a plate and loosely cover with foil.
If desired, strain the sauce and return to the pot, or simply remove the bay leaf. Boil over medium-high heat until reduced and slightly syrupy, 6 to 8 minutes. Take the pot off the heat and stir in:
- 2 tablespoons minced parsley
- (1 tablespoon butter, cut into cubes)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Serve the pheasant with the sauce.