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Pheasant Leg Stew

Servings: 8 -10 servings

Ingredients

For the Braising

  • 1 onion diced (can use cut ends of onion - throw no parts away)
  • 1 cup celery diced
  • 1 cup carrots diced
  • 2-3 garlic cloves
  • Bay Leaf
  • Fresh Herbs Rosemary is my go-to

For the Stew

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup carrot peeled & diced
  • 1 cup celery diced
  • 1 cup yellow onion diced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 5 cups pheasant or chicken stock
  • 2 cups mushrooms thinly sliced
  • 2 cups whole milk Optional, if omitted, add 2 cups stock
  • 1 cup cooked wild rice
  • 2 cups cooked pheasant shredded
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Browning and Braising

  • Brown the pheasant legs and thighs in a large, lightly-oiled, heavy-duty, oven-safe stock pot.
  • Add diced onion, celery and carrot
  • Brown until the onions are translucent.
  • Remove the legs
  • Add 1 inch of water and stir to deglaze stuck bits in the pot. Return the browned pheasant, cover and place in a 325-degree oven, ensuring there is always 1 inch of liquid in the pot.
  • After 3 hours, test for doneness. Meat will fall off bones when done. Cool the meat.

The Stock

  • Return picked legs and thigh bones to the braising pot
  • Add additional celery, carrots, onions along with garlic cloves, bay leaves and fresh herbs
  • Cover the contents of the pot with COLD water, bring to a low-boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered for several hours.
  • Strain liquid through colander lined with cheesecloth to clarify the liquid

The Stew

  • Melt half the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add next ingredients from list above and cook until onions are translucent.
  • Add butter. When melted, sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir often for three minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup pheasant stock and continue stirring until smooth. Add remaining stock, a little at a time, while stirring.
  • Add mushrooms and milk (if you want it a little creamy), bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Stir in rice and shredded pheasant. Season to taste with salt and pepper.