Page 94 - GUNS Issue n.01

Cooking Black caBBage tortelloni With pheaSant ragù | pheaSant Salad

King of the table for a day

Stuffed egg pasta for an unusual first course and a cold salad that’s ideal for

any occasion, two dishes made with pheasant, one of the most common but
underestimated game bird, often ignored due to its meat that is considered too dry

Written by Chiara Macchi, photos by Valentina Bruno

any Italian hunters hunt birds. There are those who hunt snipes in the swampy plains, red-legged
partridges in the hills, woodcocks in humid woods or black grouses in the alpine slopes. Surely it is
M a thrilling type of hunt, consisting of sacrifices, struggles and hard days. Every kind of bird hunt has
one thing in common: the importance of the dog. The hunter must choose a breed that suits him and is useful
for his personal way of hunting, in order to create an indissoluble bond with the dog. The hunter spends many
hours training his dog, until his faithful partner is able to understand him immediately. You never feel alone
with your four-legged friend and, even if you go home empty-handed, you will surely have precious memories
of the time that you’ve spent with your hunting companion.
Those who hunt birds will surely have caught some pheasants. Unfortunately, in Italy only a small number of
people can hunt wild pheasants: most hunters encounter farmed pheasants that were released into the wild to
repopulate the territory. So, let’s see how to properly use the meat of this bird.
Once killed, the birds must be eviscerated as soon as possible. They can be left to hang in the refrigerator for a few
days with their feathers still on, then they can be properly plucked. For pheasants, I personally prefer to remove
the skin as well: I think that it does not have a pleasant taste and texture, especially if the animals were recently
released on the territory.
I want to give you two recipes: a first course and a versatile dish that you can offer as an appetizer or, during
summer, as a light and fresh main course.

Black cabbage tortelloni with pheasant ragù Ingredients for 4 servings
Let’s start by preparing the ragù: take the pheasant and remove the breast,
which will be used for the next recipe. Carefully de-bone and chop the For the tortelloni
meat with a knife. Prepare the carrots, onion and celery for the sauté: cut - 250 grams of flour
them into fairly small cubes and then fry them in oil. When the vegetables - 170 grams of egg yolks
are golden brown, add the pheasant meat. When the meat is cooked, - salt
season with salt and pepper and deglaze with wine. Allow the alcohol to
evaporate, then add a ladle of broth. Simmer for a couple of hours, adding For the filling
broth if the meat becomes too dry. - 200 grams of ricotta cheese
Now let’s prepare the fresh pasta: make a well in the center of the flour, then - 200 grams of boiled black
cabbage
add the egg yolks and a pinch of salt. Beat the egg yolks with a fork, then - 50 grams of parmesan cheese
- 2 egg yolks
- salt and pepper

For the ragù
- 1 pheasant
- 2 carrots
- 1 onion
- 1 stalk of celery
- 1/2 glass of white wine
Pheasant is one of the most hunted To make the ragù, you have to de-bone the - 1/2 liter of broth
game in Italy, but in the kitchen it is often pheasant and cut the meat with a knife. - salt and pepper
relegated to a secondary role because its - extra virgin olive oil
meat is considered too dry and chewy.

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92 Cooking_Black caBBage tortelloni with pheasant ragù pheasant salad