Chinese Ringneck (©photo courtesy of MacFarlane Pheasants)

If you’re looking for something special to prepare for Valentine’s Day, a dinner featuring a roasted free-range pheasant is sure to signal a special evening. Beautifully accompanied by wild rice, pheasant is a bit firmer than chicken with a naturally rich poultry flavor.

This recipe was created by Chef David Nelson of Wisconsin, whose credits or recipes have been acknowledged in Cooking Light magazine, Restaurant News of the Rockies, and Food Arts. He had two wild game soup recipes published in Janie Hibler's cookbook, “Wild about Game”.

Chef Nelson says of his recipe, “This meal will tempt you while it roasts and fills your house with the warm, nutty scents of wild rice and pheasant.”

Ingredients for 4 Servings

• 2.5-Pound whole MacFarlane Pheasant
• 1 Cup Native Harvest Wild Rice (makes 3 cups)
• 3 Cups day old bread, cut into small cubes
• 1 Cup onions, sliced paper thin
• 1 1/2 Cup chicken stock (broth) or 1 bouillon cube dissolved in 1 1/2 Cups water
• 1 Cup celery, diced
• 2 Teaspoons finely chopped parsley
• 1 Teaspoon Sage (or to taste)

NOTE: Stuffing mix is sufficient for 2 pheasants

Preparation

1. Wash wild rice until the rinse water comes off clear.

2. Drop the wild rice into 4 cups of boiling water. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Do not stir.

3. Saute the onions and celery in 1/4 cup butter until translucent; add parsely and cook only until hot.

4. Combine wild rice, bread, sauted vegetables, sage and chicken stock. Lightly salt the inside of the bird, and fill the cavity of the bird (if desired). Tie with kitchen cord around legs and tail tightly. Brush bird with melted butter and dust with flour.

5. Bake in 325 degree oven for approximately 2 hours. Any remaining dressing can be placed in a covered baking dish and cooked in the oven alongside the bird.

David Nelson

To learn more about preparing free-range pheasant, go to: Whole Oven Ready Pheasant

To learn more about authentic, heirloom wild rice, go to: Native Harvest Wild Rice: Sacred Manoomin

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