Ingredients for the Known Ground reconstruction
Ingredient amounts shown for 6 servings.
Known Ground reconstruction
- 1whole pheasant, about 2 1/2–3 lb
- 5 cupsunsalted chicken or game stock
- 1 cupdemi-glace
- 3/4 cupconcentrated pheasant fumet, made from the carcass and poaching liquor
- 1 1/2 cupsprepared clear aspic, divided
- 2 tbspMadeira or Port
- 1 ozfresh black truffle, thinly sliced
- kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Known Ground reconstruction
Prepared demi-glace and powdered-gelatin aspic replace restaurant-scale half-glaze and meat jelly. The sauce is still reduced with pheasant fumet and the pieces remain a cold aspic-set composition. This version has not been personally tested by Known Ground. Cook the bird and any poultry forcemeat to 165°F (74°C) in its thickest portion.
Instructions
1. Poach the pheasant gently in the stock until the thickest portion reaches 165°F (74°C). Cool it in the liquor, then joint it, remove the skin, and reserve the carcass and 3 cups liquor.
2. Simmer the carcass in the reserved liquor until concentrated; strain to obtain the fumet. Reduce the demi-glace with the fumet, then add 1/2 cup aspic a little at a time until the sauce coats a chilled spoon. Finish with Madeira or Port and cool until fluid but coating.
3. Dip each cold pheasant piece in the brown chaud-froid. Set on a tray, decorate with truffle slices, brush with a little melted aspic, and chill until set; trim the edges neatly.
4. Set a thin layer of aspic in a deep serving dish, arrange the coated pieces side by side, cover with the remaining half-set aspic, and chill until firm. Serve cold.
Historical formula
Method
Proceed exactly as for “Chaud-froid de Volaille” (No. 1689), and use a brown chaud-froid sauce, flavoured with pheasant _fumet_.
In regard to the decoration, dishing, &c., follow the recipe already referred to.
Source
A Guide to Modern Cookery — Recipe no. 1853.
Updated since publication
Last revised 8/21/2026. Evidence and limitations should be interpreted as described in the article.
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