Ingredients for the Known Ground reconstruction
Ingredient amounts shown for 4 servings.
Known Ground reconstruction
- 1whole pheasant, about 2 1/2–3 lb, patted dry
- 2 lbfresh sauerkraut, rinsed only if excessively sour and squeezed dry
- 3 tbsprendered foie-gras fat, or duck fat as a disclosed fallback
- 1carrot, quartered
- 1small onion, stuck with 2 cloves
- 1small bouquet garni
- 1 tspjuniper berries, lightly crushed
- 1/2 tspblack peppercorns
- 8 ozslab bacon, blanched; half left whole and half cut into rectangles
- 2 cupsunsalted chicken or game stock
- 3 tbspunsalted butter
- 1/2 cupconcentrated game stock, for the poêling liquor
- kosher salt, as needed
Known Ground reconstruction
Commercial fresh sauerkraut and a shorter covered braise replace Escoffier's ten-pound, five-hour batch. Rendered foie-gras fat remains the preferred defining fat; duck fat is disclosed only as a practical fallback. 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. Heat the oven to 325°F. Put the sauerkraut in a covered Dutch oven with foie-gras fat, carrot, clove-studded onion, bouquet garni, juniper, peppercorns, the whole piece of bacon, and enough stock to barely cover. Cover and braise until tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
2. Meanwhile poêlé the pheasant in a second covered pot with butter, basting it with the enclosed cooking liquor, until the thickest portion reaches 165°F (74°C). Rest the bird and reserve the liquor.
3. Remove the vegetables, bouquet, juniper, peppercorns, and whole bacon from the sauerkraut. Drain it well. Cut the cooked bacon and the reserved raw rectangles into even pieces; cook the remaining rectangles until tender and lightly coloured.
4. Spread the drained sauerkraut on a long platter, set the pheasant on top, and border it with bacon rectangles. Strain the poêling liquor, combine it with concentrated game stock without removing every trace of fat, and serve it separately.
Historical formula
Method
Prepare the sauerkraut after No. 2097, and bear in mind that when it is specially prepared to accompany a pheasant, it is considerably improved by being braised with foie-gras fat.
_Poële_ a very tender pheasant, and only just cook it. Lay the well-drained sauerkraut on a long dish; set the pheasant upon it, and surround it with a border consisting of rectangles of bacon, cooked in the sauerkraut.
Serve separately the _poëling_-liquor combined with a little game _fumet_, strained, and kept somewhat greasy.
Source
A Guide to Modern Cookery — Recipe no. 1835.
Updated since publication
Last revised 8/21/2026. Evidence and limitations should be interpreted as described in the article.
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