BRAISED PHEASANT WITH SAUERKRAUT ALSATION STYLE

Braised Pheasant With Sauerkraut Alsation Style image

Provided by Richard Flaste And Pierre Franey

Time 1h25m

Yield Eight servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

3 pounds sauerkraut
8 thick slices of lean bacon
2 pheasants (about 2 1/2 pounds each), cleaned and trussed
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 cups thinly sliced onions
1 carrot scraped and cut into 1/4-inch rounds, about 3/4 cup
2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
1 bouquet garni consisting of 4 parsley sprigs, 1 bay leaf and 4 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
12 juniper berries
4 whole cloves
2 cups dry white Alsatian wine, preferably sylvaner or traminer
2 cups fresh or canned chicken broth
12 small new potatoes (about 2 pounds), peeled
2 pounds sausage, such as garlic sausage or kielbasa
Assorted mustards

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Drain the sauerkraut and cover with cold water, stir, then drain well and squeeze with the hands to remove excess water.
Place a casserole large enough to cook the pheasants side by side over medium heat. Before placing the pheasants in the casserole, cook the bacon in the casserole, stirring, until the fat is rendered.
Season the pheasants with salt and pepper to taste, both outside and inside the cavities. Add the pheasants to the casserole and brown on all sides. Scatter the onions, carrot and garlic around the birds. Add the bouquet garni, juniper berries and cloves. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes.
Place the drained sauerkraut around the pheasants and add the wine, chicken broth and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil on top of the stove, cover and remove to the oven. Bake for 35 minutes.
Reduce the heat to 375 degrees, add the potatoes and bake for 15 minutes more. Add the sausages and bake for another 15 minutes or until the potatoes are done.
Carve the pheasants and slice the sausages. Serve with sauerkraut and potatoes and the mustards.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 1078, UnsaturatedFat 37 grams, Carbohydrate 33 grams, Fat 64 grams, Fiber 10 grams, Protein 82 grams, SaturatedFat 19 grams, Sodium 2646 milligrams, Sugar 7 grams, TransFat 0 grams