30
Escarpment Magazine Fall 2012
Not everyone wants, or needs a big bird for a festive holiday celebration. A smaller roast bird on
occasion is perfect — quail, partridge, cornish, bbq chicken, Guinea fowl, pheasant, roaster, capon,
turkey — there are options galore. Birds that are raised naturally taste better and are better for
you, but that's just a starting point. Not overcooking is the key to most meats, lean fowl especially.
Remember, in fatty birds like duck, the fat is all on the outside, so the muscle itself is lean, and
can dry out. The outside fat is needed for long flights and winter warming. In preparing, there
are different recipes for all but in every case, the weight will determine the timing.
Birds of
a Feather
RECIPE | SEAN KELLY PHOTOS | CLAY DOLAN
escarpment
EPICURE
wildly festive things to prepare
5
tips for perfect Roasting - Duck, Pheasant, or Guinea fowl...
1.
Sea salt lightly, sprinkled inside and out, then stuff with diced onion, LOCAL Apples,
and celery chunks.
2.
Oven Roast (325
°
for a average duck 4-6 lbs) for 2.5 to 3 hours
—
skin should be crisp and legs move freely.
3.
DON'T carve your bird. Use poultry
shears or large scissors to cut down the middle of breast. Do the same along the back
removing the back bone. Then separate the legs and breasts.
4.
A fruit chutney goes well with all game birds and game in general. It adds moisture
without fat.
5.
A RED is the wine match, an Ontario VQA, would be near perfect.
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