Walnut Stuffed Pheasant
Submitted by mistymoon67
Roasted pheasant stuffed with bourbon-butter walnuts and seedless grapes. A rustic wild game dish with herbaceous thyme and sweet, juicy fruit in every carved slice.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
1 hrsIf you’ve got pheasant in the freezer and a bottle of bourbon on the shelf, you’re already halfway to one of the most impressive dinners you’ll ever pull off.
The birds get rubbed down with a bourbon-spiked butter seasoned with thyme and black pepper, then stuffed with a mix of crushed grapes, whole grapes, and coarsely chopped walnuts.
As the pheasant roasts, the grape juices mingle with the bourbon butter into a natural pan sauce that’s sweet, boozy, and utterly savory all at once.
Hunter’s Tips
- Baste every 15 minutes. Pheasant is lean and dries out fast without constant attention.
- Truss the birds tightly so the stuffing stays put and the legs cook evenly.
- Wild Turkey bourbon is the classic pairing here (pun fully intended), but any decent bourbon will do.
- Let the birds rest 10 minutes before carving so the juices redistribute into the meat.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 425℉ (220℃).
Melt butter in small saucepan and mix in bourbon, thyme, pepper, and salt.
Rub birds inside and out with part of seasoned butter mixture.
Mash half the grapes.
Mix mashed grapes, whole grapes, and walnuts with remaining seasoned butter untill well blended.
Place mixture inside birds and truss birds closed.
Place birds on rack in open roaster, breast side up.
Roast for 15 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 325℉ (160℃) and continue roasting for 45 minutes.
Baste frequently with drippings.
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