Chef John Van House
Smoked Pheasant and Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients:
- Pheasants 2 each
- Brown sugar 1 cup
- Salt ½ cup
- Ice water about 1 gallon (enough to cover birds)
- Diced onion 1 cup
- Diced Celery .5 cup
- Diced Carrot .5 cup
- Sliced mushrooms 1 cup
- Chopped garlic 1 Tbsp
- Chicken stock 1 qt
- Butter 4 oz
- Flour 4 oz
- Heavy cream 1 cup
- Salt and pepper as needed
- Sage 4 leaves
- Thyme 2 sprigs
- Chopped parsley 1 Tbsp
- Wild Rice 1 cup
Method:
- Start with cleaned birds
- Dissolve sugar and salt in ice water
- Brine the pheasants in the salt/sugar water solution for 24 hours
- Smoke the pheasants on low heat (225-250 degrees) until an internal temperature of 165 degrees F is reached.
- Remove Pheasants from smoker, cool and pull meat from the bones. If so inclined, pheasant stock can be made from the bones by placing the carcass into a large stockpot and cover with water, diced onion, diced celery, diced carrot and some herbs. Simmer stock for 4 hours over low heat, strain and reserve for the soup.
- In a large saucepan cook the wild rice in water (covered) over medium heat until rice begins to bloom. This could take up to an hour.
- Cool rice and set aside for later.
- Place butter into a large stock pot over high heat and melt.
- Sauté onions, celery and carrots until tender.
- Add garlic and mushrooms and sauté until mushrooms begin to soften
- Add flour and stir well.
- Slowly add stock while stirring and bring to a boil
- Reduce heat to low, add sage and thyme then simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add heavy cream, parsley, diced smoked pheasant and wild rice.
- Adjust seasonings as needed
- Enjoy!
