The American Favorites section is where we have placed recipes for dishes that have become American favorites; these recipes are for foods that are enjoyed by many people throughout this great country of ours. In this particular section, I won't assign a specific part of the country as being the origin of the recipe.
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Stuffing
4 T butter cut into ½-inch cubes
¼ c finely chopped onion 1 T parsley
2 pheasant livers, coarsely chopped Salt
1½ c ½-inch-diced day old bread Freshly ground black pepper
½ c peeled, cored and diced apple,
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To make the stuffing, melt 2 T of the butter over moderate heat in an
8-inch skillet. When the foam subsides, add the chopped onions and the
pheasant livers. Stirring frequently, cook the mixture for 3 to 4 minutes
until the livers have stiffened slightly. Scrape the mixture into a bowl.
Add the remaining 2 T of butter to the same skillet and, over high heat,
brown the diced bread in it for 3 to 4 minutes. Add it to the livers in the
mixing bowl. Mix in the apples and parsley, taste for seasoning, and add
salt and pepper to taste.
2 drawn pheasants, approximately ½ c applejack
1 pound each ½ c chicken stock, fresh or
2 T soft butter canned
4 strips bacon, cut in half ¼ c heavy cream
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Preheat the oven to 375°. Wash the pheasants quickly under cold water and
dry them thoroughly inside and out with paper towels. Rub the soft butter
into the skins of each of them and fill their cavities with the stuffing. Do
not pack it in too firmly. Secure the openings with skewers or sew with
strong white thread. Truss the birds by tying their legs together with cord.
Drape the bacon strips over their legs and breasts, and place them, breast
side up, on a rack set in a shallow baking pan just large enough to hold the
birds comfortably. Roast undisturbed in the center of the oven for about 30
minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the birds lightly with
salt and pepper. Heat ¼ c of the applejack in a small pan. Set it alight
with a match and pour it flaming over the birds, shaking the pan gently
until the flames die out. Baste thoroughly with the accumulated roasting pan
juices and return the pheasants to the oven. Roast for 10 to 12 minutes, or
until the birds are brown, crisp and tender. Remove to a heated platter and
make the sauce.Pour the chicken stock and the remaining applejack into the roasting pan and bring it to a boil on the top of the stove, scraping into it any brown bits clinging to the bottom and sides of the pan. Boil briskly for 2 to 3 minutes, then stir in the cream. Bring to a boil once more, taste for seasoning, and either pour the sauce over the pheasants or serve it separately in a gravy boat.
Carve the pheasants by splitting them along their length into halves with a sharp carving knife or shears, allowing ½ bird per person. Serves 4.
