Pheasant and Leek Soup
Too many hunters discard valuable ingredients when not using, for instance, the carcass of a pheasant to make a delicious stock or sauce. Try roasting your pheasant scraps in much the same way as is called for in this recipe. Simmer the bones until the broth is thick and concentrated. Stain broth into ice cube trays and frozen. Once frozen, break the cubes into a zipper lock bag and use a few at a time to add flavor to sauces, sautés and stir-fry’s. The stock for this soup may be made a day or two ahead or simmered at very low heat overnight.
Pheasant and Leek Soup
Ingredients
- 3 whole pheasants liberally seasoned with garlic salt and pepper
- 1 yellow onion quartered
- 3 ribs celery each cut in two
- 8 - 12 whole garlic cloves
- 1 cup smoked bacon diced
- 2 quarts chicken broth
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 leeks white part only, thoroughly washed and thinly sliced into rings
- 3 carrots diced
- 2 large red potatoes skin intact, diced into ½ inch cubes
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 cups diced fresh or canned tomatoes
Instructions
- Place pheasants, onions, celery and garlic in a large roasting pan. Top with diced bacon. Place in a 400 degree oven and roast for 1 hour or until pheasants are evenly browned. Remove from oven, allow to cool and pull meat from pheasant breasts. Save breast meat. Cut carcasses into 4 smaller pieces and place in a large stockpot with roasted vegetables. Cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 hours, stirring contents occasionally and keeping water level high enough to just cover contents. Remove pheasant pieces with tongs and pour remaining liquid through a colander to remove solids. Return liquid to pot and chicken broth, leeks, carrots, potatoes and rosemary. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer until carrots just begin to soften. Add pulled pheasant breast pieces and tomatoes. Simmer for 5 minutes more, remove rosemary and serve with warm sourdough bread.