6.12.06

Sticky pheasant

She came, she went, it was jolly good fun and we are going to do it again when Christmas is over. Lovely Joanna from 'On the Blossom Trail' popped over for a lightning visit, and there was cake and woods, though not in that order. We were on a tight schedule, with both of us being busy in various ways. We slurped a quick cuppa, and opened a packet from Daisy Lupin, which I had saved, as it was going to be a 'Blogworld-meets-real-life' kind of day. I was delighted to find two of Daisy's gorgeous felt decorations which I had been admiring on her blog.





They got hung at once, even though we don't usually decorate until a week before the great day. They look just right hanging on the beams - thank you Daisy!

Then it was off to the woods, for a very quick leg stretch, with me wearing the lovely silk scarf sent me by Connie, from Mumbo-Jumbo. I have to wear it wrapped, as my lifestyle doesn't allow for 'floaty things'. But it keeps my neck lovely and warm and I almost feel like a proper lady. Thank you Connie!


I really enjoyed showing off our lovely scenery, from the semi abandoned farmhouse with its flock of poultry, to the shy little herd of Dexters which graze nearby. There was a shoot going on nearby, as is usual at this time of year and when we returned to the car it was hemmed in by several mud splattered SUV's and an open back van with about 50 brace of pheasants hanging from the rails. It was a macabre but spectacular display; if it had been in a London gallery it could quite have passed itself off as an artwork. A gaggle of country chaps were striding across the windswept field with guns. We were approached by a couple (a brace?) of tweedy jacketed, knickerbocker clad gentlemen, in stout shoes and knee-high woollen socks, who generously gave Jo a pair of hen birds. When we got home, I just had time to force a bowl of tomato and chick pea soup on her, a fantastic recipe I swiped from Becca and Bella's blog. I added a tablespoon of Miso paste because I cannot cook any recipe without dickering about with it. And then there was cake. Moist carrot cake, made by Joanna, which was quite delicious and enough left for Andy later that night. What a lovely way to spend an extended lunchtime, and how I smiled to think of someone else tussling with dead birds...

I have been thinking of 'ways with pheasant' apart from the ubiquitous casseroles. With the last lot we got, I coated them in a sauce, and grilled them, the result being a dryish spicy finger food dish, which would go well with other 'finger pickin' foods, and maybe with cold lager to wash it down. The measurements are all approximate as I tend to hurl everything into a bowl and judge quantities by instinct, which is not very helpful to anyone else...

STICKY PHEASANT

To coat two lots of bird bits - legs, wings, breast, miscellaneous gubbins.

4-5 tablespoon of sweet chilli sauce, the dipping kind.
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

1 tablespoon of runny honey
2 fat cloves of garlic, crushed or minced
a few dried lime leaves, crushed (optional, this just gives zesty, limey notes to the final taste)
1 tablespoon of lemon juice or lime juice if you have it. (Bottled or fresh, it doesn't matter)
A couple of ounces or more of sesame seeds, enough to cover all par
ts

Mix all the ingredients apart from the sesame seeds and coat all the bits in the sauce. Oven bake or grill until done and the sauce has gone sticky and less liquid. Baste the remaining liquid over the pieces, then dredge them in sesame seeds, and return to the oven until they are toasted. That's it. It tastes better cold, and would make excellent winter picnic fare.



We had ours with game chips, which are simply winter potatos, (unpeeled) quarted lengthways, drenched in extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkled with dried herbs. Bake in a tray, on the upper shelf of a hot oven until done, rather like roast potatoes, but don't over do them - they should have a nice brown skin and soft, floury inner.



Praise be, I hit my illustration deadline last night. Feedback from the roughs won't arrive until January, so I can relax for a bit. Now I have time to start a new private commission and even think about having some time out to make paper mache bits and pieces. Everyone seems to be making lovely festive fripperies and I am tempted to join in, though I haven't actually crafted anything for years. Willow House is selling some lovely treasures at the moment, pop over and have a look.

NOTE - thanks to a remarkably successful sales period, stocks of Red Flannel Elephant Christmas cards are dwindling rapidly. If there is anyone left on the planet who wanted some and hasn't yet ordered any, the Management recommend doing so PDQ before they run out...

17 comments:

Cotswoldgent said...

It’s nice to read that you had an really good day!
The sticky pheasant looks yummy and I have taken notes and will give it a go over the Christmas period.

Anonymous said...

What a marvelous post!I was so surprised to see so many pheasant in England several weeks ago. They are amazingly beautiful birds and it seems we have dwindled down to very very few here in the States - so sad. The "word picture" of tweed clad hunters with truckloads of pheasants and offering you a pair ... I can just see it! Quintessentially English (a very good thing)since the hunters here all wear jeans and bright orange jackets - fairly obnoxious though probably very safe! The pheasant recipe is fabulous ... wonder if it could be used with a different fowl/bird?

Anonymous said...

Thanks ever so for the link. Sounds like you had a great day, my husband would have loved that brace of pheasant he adores it. The kids aren't keen though. Do you pluck your pheasants? Strange question I know it's just that if you get given rather a lot during the season it can get a bit tedious, and Stuart's family (great pheasant eaters) skin those intended for the casserole pot. Pluck for roasting, skin for casserole apparently its much quicker. Have to say I leave all that stuff to the mem folk!

Gretel said...

I think it would easily go with another bird, Becca, although pheasant are quite small, compared to, say, a chicken. It would go well with duck... You'd need to adjust the quantities, obviously.

CG, doing this to pheasant actually turns it into a whole different eating experience, and if you are cursed, sorry, blessed, with lots of them it's a good way of using them up quickly.

I can't believe Andy just walked in the door with a couple more...is there any escape?!

Gretel said...

Hi Carolyn - I just had to spread the word of your goodies! Yes, we do pluck them ourselves, an interesting experience which I am getting used to - there's a post lower down (pheasant stew from scratch) which describes my first 'go'...

joanna said...

G, we enjoyed ours casseroled last night; I am a game bird (ha, ha, ha) but I'm not sure I want to go through the preparation ritual again!!! They were, however, worth every drop of sweat and anxiety, and breathy mutterings of "just like chicken" that the preparation required - and the end result was fabulous. Freya thought it was "absolutely delicious"!!

Anonymous said...

Isn't blogging marvellous? You get real-life visitors, presents and recipes. I have your wonderful cards and I am thrilled to hear that you are selling out, that's fantastic news Gretel.

I like your pheasant recipe. We are currently reading 'Danny champion of the world' by Roald Dahl to Alfie and he is keen to go poaching (in our garden) with Daddy, using RD's methods!!

Anonymous said...

Being vegetarian, I'll have to pass on the pheasant (not that you'd find them around here anyway...the coyote get them!), but that photo of baked potato wedges has me drooling!

Anonymous said...

The scarf just looks lovely on you. I am so glad that you are enjoying it. Wish I was there to take a walk with you in the woods. That sounds so refreshing but then when I got back I would love to have some of those game chips...lol

Hugs,
Connie

Anonymous said...

Last night I was sitting at my friends house, on her verandah and telling her all about my friend in Oxfordshire (she is English) and she *sighed* and said it is a beautiful part of the country. I love reading about your day - thankyou xoxo

tlchang said...

I'm hungry now...

Congrats on meeting *your* deadline (I only did by getting an extension) - and congrats on your good card sales! That is very gratifying.

I'm glad to see someone getting some down time now. :-) (I can dream...)

Soozcat said...

Quick entry to say--that tomato and chickpea soup is indeed divine. We had some for dinner tonight. I may fiddle about with it as well next time--maybe a bit of basil? some oregano? can of cat food? hmm.

natural attrill said...

Isnt it lovely exchanging and buying and selling through our blogs, each time I visit a blog these days it seems that there is someone else I know's work there! Lots of kind people have bought Toby's jewellery, and I, for some reason, strange I know seeing as I am primarily a card designer myself, have been buying greeting cards, just found another nice set from a fellow blogger, will show you soon!
I am like you with cooking, I love it, but rarely follow a receipe, I look out for inspiration then just chuck things in, havent yet tried cat food though (soozcat)! I think it's just the same as art, for me anyway, I imagine combinations of flavours, textures, etc in food, I picture and taste them in my imagination when I am adding them to the pot, as I do with shapes and colours with my work.
Lovely to read and see you blog G, as usual, thank you!
Penny.

French Fancy... said...

You've got a lovely line to your neck and chin. Good blog as well!

lettuce said...

that pheasant sounds soooo delicious!

Anonymous said...

Hello there, glad your cards are doing so well. One day it would be nice to see your face, not just your neck, are you shy?
Glad you can relax a bit, deadlines "do my head in".

Tea said...

Enjoyed hearing about your lovely dy and such nice things you`ve recieved! The pheasant sounds good too. I`ve only had it once. Not a common thing here I don`t think.
Love your ceiling beams!! Now those are the real thing :)

tea
xo