Pheasant Soup

[Outdoors Junkie]

PHEASANT SOUP

BASIC STOCK -- (Requires about 3 pheasants) After boning the carcass separate legbones, breast bone, and back from pelvis. (Because the pelvic area is often tainted, and contains kidneys it should be discarded.)

Place the bones in a large stockpot with a small amount of cooking oil and 1/2 cup each coarsely chopped onion, carrots and celery. Brown thoroughly on high heat, until vegetables begin to caramelize and the meat is well-done. (Undercooking will cause cloudy stock from blood cooked out of the meat into the stock.) The dark color of the caramelized vegetables makes a rich, dark stock, about the color of tea.

Add water to cover and simmer until meat can be easily removed from bones. Take bones out of stock and strain stock to remove remaining vegetables and scraps. Season to taste.

Remove meat from bones and reserve for soup.

Soup is completed by cooking noodles, rice, wild rice, barley, vegetables, or potatoes in the stock. Meat is added at the last minute to heat through. A small amount of cornstarch dissolved in water can be added to give body to the stock.

A good side dish for pheasants is:

WILD RICE

1 Cup wild rice 1/2 # mushrooms 1/2 Cup slivered almonds 3 Cups chicken broth 4 Tbl butter or margarine salt, pepper and garlic to taste

Brown dry ingredients on medium 10-15 minutes. Place all in casserole, cover with foil and the cover. Bake at 325 for 1 1/2 hours.

Can be made in a crock pot. Cooking time about 8 hours on low.