It is a first in my house. This Thursday, I will be hosting my first Thanksgiving, with both my parents and my in-laws in attendance. My mom, knowing how much I love the turducen (a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken stuffed with creole sausage) she makes at Christmas, and my love of food, ordered a quaducant (a pheasant stuffed with a duck stuffed with a quail with creole sausage) for the occasion. This is where it gets interesting. My husband and I are looking forward to the quaducant, as is my mom, and my dad will eat anything. My mother-in-law gamely says she'll try it...and my father-in-law said he wouldn't come if there wasn't turkey...so I am making a turkey. Hence the experimentation a week in advance. Obviously, I can't roast two birds in my oven and expect good results.
My husband and I rotisseried a pheasant. We have a convection oven with a rotisserie option. It was amazing! Now we know how to cook the turkey for Thanksgiving while the quaducant roasts in the oven...but just in case you don't have a rotisserie at your house...roasting pheasant works too!
Roasted (Rotisserie) Pheasant (serves 2-4 depending on size)
Ingredients:
1 whole thawed pheasant (3-5 lbs), gizzards, giblets, and neck removed
2 Tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp sugar
1 stick butter, softened
1 Tbsp paprika
1 tsp corriander
Directions:
The night before (or 8 hours before roasting), dry brine the pheasant. Mix the salt, pepper, and sugar together. Rub under the skin and in the cavity of the pheasant. Let sit 8 hours or overnight.
Mix the butter, paprika, and corriander together. Put in fridge overnight.
Preheat oven to 400 or preheat your rotisserie.
Rinse the salt off of the pheasant. Put the paprika butter under the skin, over the skin, and in the cavity of the pheasant. Place pheasant in roasting pan or on rotisserie.
Roast, uncovered, 1 1/2 -2 hours or until and internal temp of 165 is reached in the leg (away from the bone). If using a rotisserie, follow unit instructions.
Let rest 30 minutes before carving.
Serve with mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, corn, broccoli and rolls (or your favorite sides, of course!).
Enjoy!
