Pheasant Confit

What’s confit? As chef, cookbook author, and huntress Georgia Pellegrini describes at the introduction to her recipe, “To “confit” something, is to cure it in salt and then cook it slowly in fat. It makes the meat buttery and fall off the bone. Is there anything that sounds more glorious than that?” It’s a simple preparation that makes use of some otherwise unused, tougher parts of a bird. The technique is traditionally used for duck legs but works for goose, pheasant, and other game birds. Properly cooked and stored, the meat will keep at least two months and is excellent on top of salads, crostini, and more. It requires very little hands-on effort, just patience. 

Pheasant legs in seasoned brine

Serves: Depends on use

Time: 12-16 hours (mostly inactive)

6 -8 pheasant legs and thighs

½ cup Kosher Salt

Zest of 1 orange

5 sprigs of fresh thyme

1 Tbsp. freshly cracked black pepper

5 juniper berries crushed

4 c. grapeseed oil or olive oil or duck fat

Place pheasant legs snugly in baking dish. Add salt evenly on top. Add the orange zest, cloves, thyme, juniper berries, and pepper. Rub seasoning evenly into every surface of pheasant legs. Cover dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, the longer the legs are allowed to cure the saltier they will be, and the longer they will preserve. Once the cure is finished, rinse the legs and baking dish. Return rinsed legs to baking dish and cover with the grape seed oil. Preheat oven to 200°. Cook for 4 to 6 hours, or until the meat falls off the bone. Strain and keep the oil. Remove meat from bones, place in an airtight container and add enough strained oil to completely cover all meat. Refrigerate meat and any remaining oil for future use. Serve legs warm or at room temperature.

Pheasant Confit https://georgiapellegrini.com/pheasant-confit/ with edits.

Pheasant legs after confit

Notice very thin bones - the size of a sewing needle - found in  the legs

Pheasant legs - bones removed - submerged in confit oil

Ready for refrigeration

The philosophy of “whole animal butchery” has become prominent in social media and culinary circles in recent years, encouraging the use of as much of the animal as possible, including bones, internal organs (heart, liver, caul fat, etc.), and cuts uncommonly seen in a grocery store or big box store meat case. The concept is not new or trendy among the hunting, farming, and foraging communities. For centuries hunters, farmers, and the like have followed this practice. We exercise this type of butchery because we care about and respect the animals and support using as much of the animal as possible – whether farm-raised or hunted. It is a matter of ethics as well as economy.

 Pheasant are small game birds, but there’s a lot to use if you practice whole animal butchery - sear the breasts, use the rib cage and back sections to make stock, confit the thighs and legs, and grill the hearts.