As we say farewell to the hot weather of summer — and for many, our tomato patches — here is a fantastically simple way to enjoy a small bird such as a partridge, chukar, quail or game hen.
partridges
Chinese Orange Chicken, with Pheasant
OK, I’ll admit it: I like Sad Panda’s orange chicken. The combination of crispy, sweet, spicy and tart is more or less crack cocaine to humans, and I am not immune. Here’s my version of that recipe, done with pheasant, grouse, quail, turkey or partridge.
On Plucking Birds
To pluck or skin? It’s a question all bird hunters face. Most of a bird’s distinctive flavor is in its skin and fat, but plucking can be tricky. Here’s how to go about it.
Pan Roasted Partridge with a Winter Salad
Pan roasted partridges cooked simply and served with a my all-time favorite winter salad: radicchio, Belgian endive and bitter greens like dandelions. This is a bright, happy dinner to make on a cold winter night.
Pheasant Noodle Soup
Pheasant soup. Pheasant noodle soup, to be exact. Why it’s taken me so long to post up this classic I have no idea. But it’s comfort food at it’s best: Easy to make, satisfying, and you’ll get leftovers.
Chaos Theory and Roast Partridge
Roast partridge, grouse or quail is a wonderful idea, but in practice the bird often comes out dry. Pan roasting is a far better way to roast game birds. This is by far the best way to cook upland birds, or small, skinny ducks like teal.
Pheasant Thai Green Curry
As much as I like Indian curries, I like Thai curries even more. This is a bright, spicy Thai green curry done with pheasant breasts. It’s actually a lot easier to make than it looks.
Pheasant Confit
Most of us know about duck confit — where you salt duck legs, then slow cook them in duck fat until they are meltingly tender, then you crisp them up in a hot oven? Yeah, that’s confit. There’s a reason it’s all over restaurant menus, but check it: This process works great with pheasant and other upland game birds, too!