Roast Pheasant

Roast Pheasant

This roast pheasant recipe was inspired by two chefs from Petersham Nursery in Richmond when I was working for Big Green Egg.  They brought out a pheasant to cook along with some other game poultry on the Egg. We cooked it this way (on the back of the convEGGtor) and I have to say it was delicious.

My memories of roast pheasant stem from my childhood. Quite often there would be a brace of pheasants hanging in our garage before Mum would take them down, pluck and prepare them. Back then the smell used to put me off eating the pheasant.

Give this a whirl, it’s easy, relatively cheap and makes a lovely change from chicken.  It’s slighter stronger and more intense in flavour with a firmer texture.  Be careful not to overcook as it’s more prone to drying out than a chicken as it has much less fat.

We’re lucky that during the shooting season, one of our friends shares the bounty of his shoots and provides a regular supply of pheasant and pigeons for us to enjoy.

Method

1. Set up your Egg for an indirect cook with the ConvEGGtor feet down and the temperature set to 180-190°C.
2. Rub the oil over the pheasant.
3. Sprinkle on a generous amount of sea salt over the oiled bird.
4. Place the pheasant breast side down on the preheated ConvEGGtor. Cook for a few minutes until the breasts are golden brown.
5. Turn the bird, so the breast side is now up, and cook for about 20 to 25 minutes until the internal temperature of the thickest part has reached 74°C. I do this on top of the herbs to start.
6. Take the pheasant off the Egg, wrap in foil and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes.
7. Serve whole of take the breasts off and cut into pieces across the breast.
8. This would be delicious served with a dauphinoise and fresh vegetables.