Pheasant Commercial
Lukas LeafLukas Leaf is an avid, passionate outdoorsman and chef born and raised in Minnesota and has spent the majority of his cooking career specializing in wild game and foraged ingredients. From weekends on the ice in his family's fish shack on Mille Lacs Lake to spring fishing trips in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, connecting with nature and our cherished wild places has long been cemented as a way of life. Lukas is a dedicated husband and father to twin girls and spends his free time fishing, foraging, hunting, camping, and cooking his way through the great outdoors. Lukas is the lead chef for Modern Carnivore, executive director at Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters, and a wild foods contributor for MeatEater.
Duration
2 hours
Serves
2 to 4
Chef’s notes
The commercial is a staple in diners and dives across the country—aptly named after the traveling commercial salesman who made this gravy-smothered dish a household name. It’s an open-faced, stick-to-your-bones meal that’ll keep your energy going no matter what the activity is. Traditionally, the commercial is made with beef or turkey, but any meat will do.
Whipping this dish together is a great way to utilize the entire bird. Roasting gives you the opportunity to pull that pesky dark meat (that most tend to avoid), but is really one of the best parts of a game bird. Also, make sure to save the body and bones after you’ve carved the meat as they will make afantastic stockto use for a soup or stew.
Ingredients
- One whole skin-on pheasant
- 2 to 4 slices white bread, such as sourdough
Pheasant Gravy
- 3 cups pheasant stock
- 1 cup roasting drippings
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup fresh parsley
- 2 tbsp. fresh thyme
- 2 tbsp. Worchestershire
- 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
Mashed Potatoes
- 3 lbs. yukon gold potatoes, peeled and halved
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- 1 cup parmesan, grated
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 2 tsp. Kosher salt
Also works with
Any gamebird or braised venison meat
Special equipment
Potato masher, roasting pan
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Pat the pheasant dry and season the whole bird with salt and pepper, or your favoriteMeatEater seasoning. Add a few aromatics like fresh herbs, garlic, and sliced lemon to the pan with some butter to kick start the drippings. Roast the pheasant on the center rack for 1 to 1½ hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF. Set aside to rest.
- Place potatoes into a pot with lightly salted cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender. While the potatoes are cooking, add the heavy cream and butter to a saucepot and heat to a light simmer. Keep warm until the potatoes are ready. Once cooked; strain and mash with a potato masher. Add the cream mixture, parmesan, season with salt, and whip the potatoes with a whisk until smooth. Cover and set aside to keep warm.
- Strain the drippings from the roasting pan and set them aside. Melt the butter into a small pot and add the drippings. Whisk the flour and thyme into the pan until smooth. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally until nice and thick and the flour flavor is cooked out. About two minutes. Now whisk in the stock, Worcestershire, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a light simmer and cook for five minutes or until the gravy has thickened. Mix in the chopped parsley. Cover and let stand.
- Slice the pheasant breasts and pull the leg and thigh meat. Place a piece of bread on a plate, add some mashed potatoes to the bread, put the pheasant meat on top of the potatoes, and spoon a healthy amount of gravy over the whole dish.
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Pheasant Commercial
Recipe by:Lukas Leaf
Duration
2 hours
Serves
2 to 4
Chef’s notes
The commercial is a staple in diners and dives across the country—aptly named after the traveling commercial salesman who made this gravy-smothered dish a household name. It’s an open-faced, stick-to-your-bones meal that’ll keep your energy going no matter what the activity is. Traditionally, the commercial is made with beef or turkey, but any meat will do.
Whipping this dish together is a great way to utilize the entire bird. Roasting gives you the opportunity to pull that pesky dark meat (that most tend to avoid), but is really one of the best parts of a game bird. Also, make sure to save the body and bones after you’ve carved the meat as they will make afantastic stockto use for a soup or stew.
Ingredients
- One whole skin-on pheasant
- 2 to 4 slices white bread, such as sourdough
Pheasant Gravy
- 3 cups pheasant stock
- 1 cup roasting drippings
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup fresh parsley
- 2 tbsp. fresh thyme
- 2 tbsp. Worchestershire
- 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
Mashed Potatoes
- 3 lbs. yukon gold potatoes, peeled and halved
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- 1 cup parmesan, grated
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 2 tsp. Kosher salt
Also works with
Any gamebird or braised venison meat
Special equipment
Potato masher, roasting pan
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Pat the pheasant dry and season the whole bird with salt and pepper, or your favoriteMeatEater seasoning. Add a few aromatics like fresh herbs, garlic, and sliced lemon to the pan with some butter to kick start the drippings. Roast the pheasant on the center rack for 1 to 1½ hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF. Set aside to rest.
- Place potatoes into a pot with lightly salted cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender. While the potatoes are cooking, add the heavy cream and butter to a saucepot and heat to a light simmer. Keep warm until the potatoes are ready. Once cooked; strain and mash with a potato masher. Add the cream mixture, parmesan, season with salt, and whip the potatoes with a whisk until smooth. Cover and set aside to keep warm.
- Strain the drippings from the roasting pan and set them aside. Melt the butter into a small pot and add the drippings. Whisk the flour and thyme into the pan until smooth. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally until nice and thick and the flour flavor is cooked out. About two minutes. Now whisk in the stock, Worcestershire, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a light simmer and cook for five minutes or until the gravy has thickened. Mix in the chopped parsley. Cover and let stand.
- Slice the pheasant breasts and pull the leg and thigh meat. Place a piece of bread on a plate, add some mashed potatoes to the bread, put the pheasant meat on top of the potatoes, and spoon a healthy amount of gravy over the whole dish.