Pheasant Pot Pie

[Garth Gustafson]

This is my wife's recipe. She is a gourmet cook. The pastry dough is from scratch. This one will blow you away. Leave yourself plenty of prep time.
Serves 6

Use 6 large oven-proof ramekins or oven-proof bowls. Approximately 5-3/4” diameter x 2-1/2” high – holds 1-1/4 cup.

Ingredients:
3 whole med/large Pheasant breasts
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
1.2 cup dry vermouth
3 springs fresh thyme
1 small onion, quartered
5 ½ cups chicken stock
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 stick unsalted butter
2 cups yellow onions, chopped
¾ cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
¼ cup heavy cream
1 (8-ounce) shredded carrots
1 (10-ounce) frozen peas
1 ½ cups frozen small whole onions (pearl)
½ cup minced fresh parsley leaves


For the Pastry:
4 ½ cups all-purpose unbleached flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 ½ teaspoon baking power
¾ cup cold vegetable shortening
1 ½ sticks cold unsalted butter, diced
2/3 to 1 cup ice water
1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp. water, for egg wash


Directions:

Place the pheasant breasts in a slow cooker with 3 cups of chicken stock, vermouth, quartered small onion, and fresh thyme. Cook on low temperature for 2 hours (until pheasant is tender).

Prepare the pastry: mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the cold shortening, diced butter and mix quickly to only coat the butter and shortening with flour. Pulse 10 times or until the flour mixture is the size of small peas. With the motor running, use a spoon to add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. If too dry, add small amounts of ice water. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball – do not overwork the dough – keeping pieces of butter visible in the dough. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow to rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or until ready to use.

Remove pheasant from slow cooker and let cool. Strain broth from slow cooker and reserve.
Remove meat from the breast bone and cut the pheasant into medium dice. You will approximately 3 to 5 cups of cubed pheasant.

In a medium saucepan, heat the reserved broth from the slow cooker, the remaining 2 ½ cups of chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock.

In a large pot, melt the butter and sauté the diced onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly for2 minutes. Add the hot broth mixture. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons of salt, ½ teaspoon of fresh ground pepper, and have cream. Add the cubed pheasant, carrots, peas, pearl onions, and parsley. Mix well.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Divide the filling equally among 6 ovenproof bowls. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and quickly form each into a ball. On a flour surface, roll each piece into an 8-inch circle or large enough to cover/overlap the top of the bowl. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top of each bowl. Pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

[Dean Romig]

When you say "3 whole med/large Pheasant breasts" do you really mean the med/large breasts of 3 Pheasants?





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[Garth Gustafson]

Roger that, 3 birds will make 6 pot pies