Birds Recipes

NORTHERN ONTARIO PARTRIDGE (RUFFED GROUSE)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the slices of bacon in the skillet and fry until they have released their juices, but are not crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside. Place the partridge breast halves into the pan, and brown them quickly, about 2 minutes per side.
• Remove the partridge pieces, and wrap each one with two slices of bacon. Secure with toothpicks. Pour enough of the drippings from the skillet into a baking dish to cover the bottom. Place the partridge pieces into the dish along with the chicken broth, white wine, shallots, garlic, salt and black pepper.
• Roast uncovered for 45 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove drippings from the baking dish using a turkey baster, and place in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Serve gravy with partridge.

BEEF BIRDS

Steps:

• Pound steak to 1/4 inch thickness, using a meat mallet or edge of heavy plate.
• Cut meat into strips, approximately 3x5 inches. Season flour with salt, pepper and garlic powder and dredge the meat in the flour. (save the remaining flour to thicken the gravy).
• Add a 1/2 slice of bacon (size to cover the meat strip) and thin chunks of onion to the meat, leaving the end of the meat free of onion so you can roll up more easily. Roll it up, with the bacon and onion on the inside and secure with 2 toothpicks.
• In Dutch Oven or heavy pot, heat oil and brown birds well on all sides. You will have to do this in batches. Do NOT skimp on browning well, it really makes the dish.
• Return birds to the pot. Add beef broth and enough water up to 3 inches in pot. Cover and simmer on low until fork-tender, about 1 1/2 hours, check after 1 hour.
• Remove birds. Skim some, but not all of the fat from the pot. Make gravy using pan juices, flour and water, or however you like to make your gravy.

VEAL BIRDS PAPRIKA

Steps:

• In a heavy skillet cook 1/2 cup of the onion and the mushrooms in 6 tablespoons of the butter over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden, stir in the bread crumbs, the basil, and salt and pepper to taste, and let the filling cool. Divide the filling among the cutlets and fold in the long sides of each cutlet 1/2 inch. Starting with a short side, roll up the cutlets and tie them at each end with kitchen string.
• In a large heavy skillet heat 2 tablespoons of the remaining butter over moderately high heat until the foam subsides, in it brown the veal birds, patted dry, and transfer them as they are browned to a bowl. In the skillet cook the remaining 1 cup onion in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter over moderate heat, stirring, until it is golden, stir in the stock, the tomato purée, and the paprika, and add the veal birds with any juices that have accumulated in the bowl. Simmer the mixture, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the veal is tender. Arrange the noodles on a platter, remove the string from the veal birds, and transfer the veal birds with tongs to the platter. Reduce the heat to low, whisk the sour cream and salt and pepper to taste into the skillet, and cook the sauce, stirring occasionally, until it is hot, but do not let it boil. Serve the sauce separately.