After feeding the four footed zoo (they are easy, it is "croquettes" otherwise known in English as kibble) I am thinking what I should do about the two footed beasts in the house (Samantha Laurent and I) as we usually desire something more than kibble.
Sologne,just next to the Loire Valley is the hearting center of France. We have thousands of forested acres where the deer and, not buffalo, but "sanglier" (boar) roam as well as pheasants and partridges.
Here I am with one. Now that is about 130kg of BEAST!
Yesterday was the last day of the season, at least for the pheasants and a neighbor was nice enough to give me one.
A beauty he is.
Because hunting is so important here in Sologne, game cooking is one of the regional delights. In fact, I give a cooking course in it at my B&B www.TheAmericanFrog.com.
The name of the course? "Eat Like a Wild Man - The Art of Elegant Game Cooking"
The "Eat like a Wild Man" is also the title of a very good game cookbook by Rebecca Grey that I use quite often. I will be doing a variation of her Etruscan Pheasant
1 whole pheasant
1 lemon
l large red onion
4 tbsps butter (I use "escargot" butter, garlic and parsley mixed into the butter)
2 cups chopped veggies (I used carrots and onions)
1/2 cup wine (I replaced it with my smoked chicken stock
1 tbsp your choice of herbs (I used sage and thyme)
Soak a terra-cotta pot for 30 minutes. Rinse, pat dry, then rub the pheasant with lemon salt and pepper it. Put 2 tbsps butter along with a quartered onion into the cavity. Put the pheasant into the rinsed pot, add the veggies, herbs and the wine or stock. Cover pot and put it into a cold oven for 90 minutes at 450°F, 230°, 8 gas mark.
But to go with the pheasant...yes, of course, Brussels sprouts!
This is easy too, but it does take some time. I slice the carrots then grill them just a bit, with a little butter. When they start to brown I add the brussels sprouts, then about 1/2 smoked chicken stock. I let it reduce, stirring occassionally. I "braise" the vegtables by continuing to add a little of the stock at a time until tender. I add about 1/2 cooked bacon and crumble chestnuts just add the end of the cooking.
I served it with, what I think, is the best Cherveny wine, Domaine des Huards. It is a local Loire Valley wine, their winery is just 20 minutes from our B&B.
The poor Loire Valley wines get lost among the Grand Crus from Bordeaux. Since living here I have happily tried most of them and find many very very good. The Domaine des Huards I serve at my "table d'hôtes" (dinner for my B&B guests). And, the best thing, is since they don't keep as well as a Bordeaux you can drink them sooner!
Kristi Anderson, the original owner of Tea & Tattered Paris, now runs Saint Jacques, le coin perdu. A B&B located just 1 1/2 south of Paris near Orléans.
Saint Jacques le Coin Perdu
15, place de l'église
45240 Ligny le Ribault
[email protected]
Sologne,just next to the Loire Valley is the hearting center of France. We have thousands of forested acres where the deer and, not buffalo, but "sanglier" (boar) roam as well as pheasants and partridges.
Here I am with one. Now that is about 130kg of BEAST!
Yesterday was the last day of the season, at least for the pheasants and a neighbor was nice enough to give me one.
A beauty he is.
Because hunting is so important here in Sologne, game cooking is one of the regional delights. In fact, I give a cooking course in it at my B&B www.TheAmericanFrog.com.
The name of the course? "Eat Like a Wild Man - The Art of Elegant Game Cooking"
The "Eat like a Wild Man" is also the title of a very good game cookbook by Rebecca Grey that I use quite often. I will be doing a variation of her Etruscan Pheasant
1 whole pheasant
1 lemon
l large red onion
4 tbsps butter (I use "escargot" butter, garlic and parsley mixed into the butter)
2 cups chopped veggies (I used carrots and onions)
1/2 cup wine (I replaced it with my smoked chicken stock
1 tbsp your choice of herbs (I used sage and thyme)
Soak a terra-cotta pot for 30 minutes. Rinse, pat dry, then rub the pheasant with lemon salt and pepper it. Put 2 tbsps butter along with a quartered onion into the cavity. Put the pheasant into the rinsed pot, add the veggies, herbs and the wine or stock. Cover pot and put it into a cold oven for 90 minutes at 450°F, 230°, 8 gas mark.
But to go with the pheasant...yes, of course, Brussels sprouts!
This is easy too, but it does take some time. I slice the carrots then grill them just a bit, with a little butter. When they start to brown I add the brussels sprouts, then about 1/2 smoked chicken stock. I let it reduce, stirring occassionally. I "braise" the vegtables by continuing to add a little of the stock at a time until tender. I add about 1/2 cooked bacon and crumble chestnuts just add the end of the cooking.
I served it with, what I think, is the best Cherveny wine, Domaine des Huards. It is a local Loire Valley wine, their winery is just 20 minutes from our B&B.
The poor Loire Valley wines get lost among the Grand Crus from Bordeaux. Since living here I have happily tried most of them and find many very very good. The Domaine des Huards I serve at my "table d'hôtes" (dinner for my B&B guests). And, the best thing, is since they don't keep as well as a Bordeaux you can drink them sooner!
Kristi Anderson, the original owner of Tea & Tattered Paris, now runs Saint Jacques, le coin perdu. A B&B located just 1 1/2 south of Paris near Orléans.
Saint Jacques le Coin Perdu
15, place de l'église
45240 Ligny le Ribault
[email protected]
Hello Kristi!
That is one heck of a sanglier you have got there! I nearly ran into a young family of them early in the morning on my way to work one day. They were trotting along a tiny country lane and I thought I was still asleep and dreaming. Beautiful creatures they are. Your blog, by the way, is lovely and your dogs are SO cute! The'Eat like a wild man' cooking course sound great. I have 2 rabbits (not wild tho) in the freezer, and I still haven't decided what to do with them. Personally, I am not keen on rabbit but my children love it. It is a shame that you are so far away or I would love to come on the course. I could certainly do with some ideas what to do with the rabbits.
best wishes
Lydia
Posted by: Lydia Martindale | 02/05/2010 at 08:50 PM
Lydia, I cannot tell a lie. That is a picture my kids took of me in a restaurant in Prague at Christmas! It is about 130 kgs. The biggest French ones are only around 110kgs! But they can still wreck a car, so be careful! They are, indeed, magnificent beasts:
Don't forget you can cook those rabbits in any of your favorite chicken recipes. Since "Bunny" has arrived my kids are on a strike against eating rabbit. They hold no grudges about eating "ragondin" tho. These bigger-than- muskrats were imported from South America in the latter part of the 19th century for their fur. Two escaped.....and the rest is history. There is no predator for them in Europe and they are wrecking havoc in the ponds here! All that to say when cooked they taste a lot like chicken or rabbit!
Posted by: kristi | 02/06/2010 at 08:32 AM
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
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