This is my first time participating in a food blog event! Monthly Mingle was created by Meeta from What's For Lunch Honey. This event's selected ingredients are sage and zucchini and it is up to us to create something inspiring. After a bit of brainstorming and some fab phone advice from my sis, the decision was made: Stuffing.
My father-in-law had just given me a fresh pheasant from one of his hunting trips along with a small bag of chesnuts that he had gathered. Could the basis for this recipe be any better? So I started thinking about what I like and don't like about stuffing and it turns out that the answer to both musings is the bread. I love the crusty crunchiness of this comfort food but at the same time, I hate the soggy glob that the all too absorbant bread often turns into.
So, this is where it gets good. I decided I needed to find bread that was dense and strong and had its own unique personality. Too lazy to actually make the bread myself, I hit the store hoping to find the magic ingredient. My first inclination was rye bread because it has more soul than white bread and I needed something strong to bring all the elements together. I needed my fifth element. Unfortunately, it was still too light and I knew I would end up with zucchini bread mush.
I wandered over to the organic section and a loaf of pain d'épice practically jumped into my basket out of it's own free will. Pain d'épice is a French spice bread that resembles our gingerbread but is more potent and has the consistency of... fruit cake. I mean these loaves are so dense that they almost qualify as construction material and it was just what I needed.
Savoury Autumn Stuffing with Roast Pheasant
6 oz spice bread (175 gr.)
4 Tbsp. salted butter (60 gr.)
1/2 red onion
10 chesnuts
8 medium to large sage leaves
1 medium zucchini
2-3 Tbsp. water
Sauté the onion in butter over medium heat. Chiffonade the sage and add to onion and butter mixture. Remove from heat once the sage begins to give off it's aroma.
Once the chesnuts and peeled and washed, boil them in a large quantity of water until they are soft. Chop the chesnuts and add to the butter mixture.
In a food processor, shred the zucchini on the smallest setting. Squeeze out all excess liquid twice and place in a large mixing bowl.
Chop the spice bread in 1/2 in. cubes and add to the zucchini. Pour the butter mixture over the 'dry' ingredients and combine. Add just enough water to lighten the butter mixture so that it coats the bread evenly. The stuffing should be moist but not soggy. Salt and pepper to taste.
Once the stuffing is prepared, gently spoon into the pheasant but be careful not to pack the bird tight. Place the remaining stuffing into individual ramekins.
Rub the pheasant with olive oil, salt, and pepper and roast at 350°F (180°C) for 1 hour or until the bird is golden brown. 15 minutes into cooking time, pour 1/2 cup of water over the pheasant and continue to baste throughout cooking time. Continue adding water if needed.
Note: This was great served up with a side of sweet potato purée
