Braised Pheasant Legs In Morel Sauce

Tender braised pheasant legs with a rich morel mushroom sauce is a perfect way to use up parts of the bird many people throw out.

1 leg on larger birds can work for lighter eaters, assume 2 legs per person for larger appetites.
1.5 oz dried morel mushrooms (2-4 mushrooms per person)
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
flavourless cooking oil
all-purpose flour, unbleached
½ cup dry white wine or brandy
6 cups chicken pheasant or chicken stock
½ cup shallots, small dice
2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
2 Tbsp. butter, for finishing
1 splash heavy cream

Garnish:
fresh cut chives

Accompaniment Suggestions:
Soft polenta 1 cup of cornmeal cooked with 4 cups of water seasoned with salt and butter will be enough to accompany the proportions here.
Blanched asparagus Wilted greens are a good substitute especially nettles.

Brown the Pheasant Legs:
In a large braising pan such as a cast iron skillet, heat a few Tbsp. of oil until hot. Meanwhile, season the pheasant legs with salt and pepper, then dredge in the flour, tapping off the excess.

Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C/140°C fan, Gas Mark 3).

Brown the pheasant legs on medium-high heat until deeply browned all over, then add the shallots and thyme to the pan and cook for a minute more.

Bake the Pheasant Legs:
Add the wine or brandy to the pan and cook for seconds, then add the stock and dried morel mushrooms, cover the pan, and bake for 1.5 hours, or until the meat just barely moves from the bones. Cool the pheasant legs in their liquid until you can handle them.

Remove the Pin Bones:
Remove the pheasant legs to a cutting board and remove the pin bones from the lower portion of each leg. Most of the bones will pull out, but there will be one stubborn, large bone, which you can break off with a pliers or just leave for guests to remove.

Cut and trim the morels (optional):
If your morels are very large, consider cutting them into pieces and putting them back into the braising liquid.

Finishing and Serving:
Heat up the braising liquid and morels. Double check the seasoning (it shouldn’t need any salt, but check just in case) add the splash of cream if using, along with the butter, then bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring until the butter melts. Add the pheasant legs back to the pan to heat through.

If the pan threatens to get dry, add a splash of water here and there to adjust the consistency until it looks like the delicious morel sauce it should be, and tastes good to you.

To Serve:
Put a dollop of soft polenta on each preheated dinner plate, along with a few spears of asparagus. Plate the pheasant leg(s) on the opposite side of the plate, spooning the sauce and morels over each serving. Sprinkle with chives and serve.

Makes 4-8 servings.

Cook's Notes:

• It’s important to use clean morels here since I try to keep it simple by just tossing them in with the pheasant legs. If for any reason you suspect your morels have grit, hydrate them in the water or stock before you add it to the pheasant legs, then remove the mushrooms, strain the liquid, leaving the last few tablespoons in the bottom to discard, along with the grit, which should be visible, then add the morels and stock to the pan and proceed as directed.
• Resist the urge to put the pheasant legs on top of polenta, as it makes for a cleaner presentation.