Phreaking Pheasant....

So, Amir goes on a hunt yesterday morning with some of his friends for pheasant and chukar...I had no idea what a chukar even was, so I googled it :)

He told me to find a recipe so that I could cook the meat when he got home. What an interesting challenge. I actually ended up using this recipe that calls for quail, and adapted it a little for four birds instead of 16...pheasant and chukar are a little bigger than quail, so you'll need to cook for longer than the recipe says.

Bacon-Wrapped Quail Stuffed with Goat Cheese

16 (4 oz) quail, rinsed and patted dry

1 1/2 tsp of kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves

8 cloves garlic, peeled and halved

16 oz. soft fresh goat cheese

16 sprigs of fresh rosemary

16 strips of thick-cut bacon

Season each quail inside and out with salt and pepper. Transfer to 1 to 2 large bowls, add oil, thyme, and garlic. Toss to combine. Refrigerate, covered at least 1 hour and up to 48 hours.

Preheat over to 500 degrees. Remove 1 quail from marinade. Stuff cavity with 1 oz. goat cheese and 1 spring rosemary and tie legs loosely with kitchen string. Wrap 1 strip of bacon around breast and transfer quail, breast side up, to rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining quail, using 2-3 baking sheets.

Roast until just cooked through (cut into inner thigh; meat will still be slightly pink) about 15 minutes.

The quail can also be grilled rather than roasted. To avoid flare-ups from the dripping fat, cook the bacon separately and stuff it in the cavity of each bird along with the cheese.

All in all, not too bad. I found that Amir really does not like rosemary, so this recipe will have to be altered if I were to make it again. Please excuse the pitiful looking side items - I forgot to take a pic until the end and this is all that was left of the green beans and potatoes!!

These are some of my favorite potatoes - basically boil red potatoes until cooked throughout - cut into quarters and toss with a little butter, italian dressing, thyme, sage, salt & pepper. They are always a hit!