-
1
Separate legs and thighs from each bird.
-
2
Remove and reserve skin, then cut meat away from the bones, being careful to remove small bones and gristle.
-
3
Set aside.
-
4
Skin, then bone the breasts.
-
5
The procedure is exactly the same as for a chicken: With the bird lying on its back, use a sharp knife to make a deep incision just beside the breast bone.
-
6
Then pull the meat - called the supreme - away from the carcass.
-
7
Repeat the procedure for the other breast, and for remaining pheasant.
-
8
On the inner side of each breast there will be a small fillet.
-
9
Remove the stringy nerve from each of them.
-
10
Using a broad knife blade, pound the small fillets slightly to flatten and set aside.
-
11
Cut deep pockets into each of the supremes for stuffing, taking care not to pierce all the way through.
-
12
Set aside.
-
13
Use skin, carcass, heart, gizzard and wings to prepare a stock, as one would prepare chicken stock.
-
14
Rinse caul fat under cold water for several minutes, then drain well.
-
15
Prepare the stuffing.
-
16
Put dark meat from legs and thighs through a meat grinder, or grind in a food processor.
-
17
Add egg whites, season with salt, pepper and paprika, and pass through a fine mesh sieve, using a stiff plastic scraper, or, if available, use the fine mesh sieve attachment of an electric mixer.
-
18
Combine meat and egg mixture with the creme fraiche in a mixing bowl and whip with an electric beater for several minutes, or until the mixture is very elastic.
-
19
Saute pheasant livers in butter for about two minutes.
-
20
Open each supreme, carefully add stuffing and in the center of each place half of a sauteed liver.
-
21
Close supremes so that no stuffing seeps out, and cover the opening with the flattened fillets from Step 2.
-
22
Wrap each stuffed supreme in a single layer of caul fat.
-
23
This can be done several hours ahead, then refrigerated.
-
24
Remove pheasant from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking.
-
25
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-
26
Salt and pepper each supreme, then brown on both sides in butter.
-
27
Place su-premes in a shallow, buttered pan, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
-
28
While pheasant is cooking, prepare sauce and figs.
-
29
To serve, cut each packet on the bias into five or six thin slices, arrange on warm plates and serve with shallot and wildmushroom sauce.
-
30
The caul fat should have cooked away, and so need not be removed for serving.
