Pheasant à la GEORGIENNE

Known Ground reconstruction

A covered Dutch oven replaces the saucepan and a modest home quantity of fruit juice replaces the original restaurant-scale amount. The walnut, grape, orange, Malmsey, and tea profile is preserved rather than replaced by a generic pomegranate sauce. 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. Season the pheasants and place them in a covered Dutch oven with walnuts, grape juice, orange juice, Malmsey, tea, and butter.

2. Cook at a gentle simmer, turning once, then uncover briefly to brown the birds. Continue until the thickest portion reaches 165°F (74°C).

3. Move the birds and walnuts to a warm platter. Strain the cooking liquid, add demi-glace, and reduce by about half.

4. Coat the pheasant and walnuts lightly with the sauce; serve the remaining sauce separately.

Historical formula

Method

Truss the pheasant as for an entrée, and put it into a saucepan with thirty fresh, halved, and well-peeled walnuts; the juice of two lbs. of grapes and of four oranges, pressed on a sieve; a wineglassful of Malmsey wine; a glassful of strong, green tea; one and one-half oz. of butter, and the necessary seasoning.

Poach the pheasant in this preparation for about thirty minutes, and colour it when it is almost cooked.

When about to serve, dish it and surround it with fresh walnuts.

Strain the cooking-liquor through a napkin; add thereto one-third pint of game Espagnole, and reduce to half.

Slightly coat the pheasant and its garnish with the sauce, and serve what remains of the latter separately.

Source

A Guide to Modern Cookery — Recipe no. 1838.