GERMAN PHEASANT SOUP

By Wendy Hyde
IG: girlgamechef
Website: www.girlgamechef.com

Serves: 8
Prep and cook time: 2 hours

The complex flavors will remind you of your favorite German foods - smoky bacon and crushed caraway seeds with sweetness from the cabbage, carrots, and onion. A splash of white wine vinegar just before serving hints at the familiar tang of sauerkraut.

Making your own pheasant stock is no different than making chicken stock and the quality and flavor of a homemade stock is far and above anything that comes from the store. If you want to start by making your own, read how here: www.girlgamechef.com/pheasant-stock

Pheasant Soup Ingredients

·      8-10 cups Pheasant Stock or chicken stock
·     Breasts from 6 – 6 ½ lb. birds and bone-in breasts (about 2 lb. boneless meat)
·      8 oz. lean bacon lardons plus 6 slices of thick smoky bacon
·      12 oz. button mushrooms, diced ¼”
·      8 oz. carrots, julienne cut
·      6 oz. yellow onions, cut into ¼” slices
·      1 pound green cabbage, finely sliced
·      ¼ teaspoon celery seed
·      ¾ teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed
·      1-2 teaspoon Kosker salt, or to taste
·      1 ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
·      2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
·      ¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
·      Spaetzle (directions below). Or substitute with egg noodles 

German Pheasant Soup Instructions

1.     Put the cold stock in a large stock pot, add the uncooked bacon slices and boneless breasts to the cold stock and gradually bring to a bare simmer over medium heat; gently poach the breasts (no boiling!) until the internal temperature of the meat is 160 degrees F, about 20-30 minutes. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Remove poached breasts to a bowl and cover to prevent them from drying out. When meat is cool enough to handle, slice thinly and return to covered bowl for later. Remove bacon slices and discard. 

2.     While breasts poach, in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, fry bacon until very crisp. Remove and set aside. In same skillet using the bacon fat, sweat the onions and mushrooms over medium heat until most of the liquid has evaporated from the vegetables, about 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.

3.     Add cabbage and carrots to the simmering stock and cook until cabbage becomes tender, about 30 minutes. While soup simmers make spaetzle and set aside (or cook medium egg noodles and drain). Add onion / mushroom mixture, celery seed, caraway seed, salt, pepper, sliced breast meat, cooked bacon lardons, and vinegar and bring to a simmer. Cook 10-15 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Just before serving stir in the spaetzle and parsley. Taste to adjust seasoning, adding salt, pepper, and vinegar as needed. 

Spaetzle Ingredients

·      ¾ c. cold whole milk
·      3 large eggs
·      1 tsp. salt
·      1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
·      2 c. all-purpose flour

Spaetzle Instructions 

1.     Combine milk, eggs, salt and nutmeg in processor; blend until smooth, about 30 seconds.

2.     Add flour and blend until batter is just smooth, about 30 seconds (batter will be very thick and sticky).

3.     Put batter into a pastry bag fitted with a ¼” round decorating tip. Let rest 15 minutes while waiting for the water to boil.

4.     Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Working in 3 batches, hold the pastry bag above the boiling water and squeeze batter into pot, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to break up the streams of batter. Stir gently to prevent sticking. Simmer briefly (1 minute) until spaetzle float to surface, then continue cooking 1 minute longer. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the spaetzle to a colander. (Can be made up to 1 day ahead. Toss lightly with a little soft butter and refrigerate; if making a few hours ahead, let stand at room temperature.)