Ingredients for the Known Ground reconstruction
Ingredient amounts shown for 4 servings.
Known Ground reconstruction
- 2whole pheasants, patted dry
- 4thick brioche or sandwich-bread slices, cut into croûtons
- 3 tbspbutter
- 8small poultry quenelles, prepared
- 8 ozlarge mushrooms, grooved or thickly sliced
- 4 ozchicken gizzards, cooked and halved
- 1 oztruffle, thinly sliced; optional
- 1 cupdemi-glace
- 1/2 cupgame stock
Known Ground reconstruction
Prepared poultry quenelles and demi-glace replace specialized game forcemeat and Espagnole. Chicken gizzards are a clearly disclosed practical substitute for cocks’ kidneys. 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. Roast the pheasants until the thickest portion reaches 165°F (74°C); rest them while finishing the garnishes.
2. Fry the croûtons in butter. Warm quenelles, mushrooms, gizzards, and truffle separately in butter.
3. Reduce demi-glace and game stock with any roasting juices; keep it loose enough to serve as a sauce.
4. Set each pheasant on croûtons, arrange garnishes alternately around it, and serve the truffle-scented sauce separately.
Historical formula
Method
_Poële_ the pheasant, and dish it on a low _croûton_, carved from a sandwich-loaf and fried in butter.
Surround it with small, decorated, round game quenelles; large, grooved, cooked mushrooms; and cocks’ kidneys; all three arranged alternately.
Serve separately a Salmis sauce, flavoured with truffle essence, and combined with the strained and reduced _poëling_-liquor, cleared of all grease.
Source
A Guide to Modern Cookery — Recipe no. 1843.
Updated since publication
Last revised 8/21/2026. Evidence and limitations should be interpreted as described in the article.
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