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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 16, 2024)
Pan seared pheasant breast on a bed of rice By Chris Sykes Pheasant season started last Saturday, bringing back so many childhood mem- ories. While I spent much of my teen years hunting pheasant, I rarely ate it. My friends and I would hunt almost every weekday and weekend during the season. If we didn’t have football practice, we’d rush out of school, hop into my dad’s GMC pickup—shotguns on the gun rack—and head off before it got dark. Back then, it wasn’t uncommon to bring guns to school as long as they stayed in the truck. Some days we’d hit our limit; other days we’d come back empty-handed. There’s something thrill- ing about shooting at a fast-moving target that jumps out from the brush 10 feet ahead of you. One of the best things about pheasant hunting was that it didn’t require a major time commitment—you could spend just an afternoon hunting. I’ll never forget the first time my dad took me pheasant hunting on the backside of the Heppner Reservoir. It was a thrilling experience that stayed with me until this day. Despite all my years of hunting, I rarely ate pheasant because I convinced myself it was too gamey. Since at the time I wasn’t a fan of pheasant, I usually gave my birds to friends who wanted them. That belief stuck with me for years, and it took me 30 years to realize how wrong I was. Pheasant season starts in early October and runs until the end of Decem- ber. Last Thanksgiving, I decided to cook pheasant for the first time as an ex- tra dish since we had so many guests. Even though I still thought it might taste gamey, I gave it a try. To my surprise, the pheasant breasts turned out tender and flavorful—nothing like I expected. This year, I plan to cook the legs and thighs as well. The recipe I found for pan-seared pheasant breast with red peppers was a game changer. The pheas- ant was tender, moist, and delicious—nothing like the gamey taste I imagined in my head. It’s funny how long it took me to appre- ciate something I spent so much time hunting, but I’m glad I finally did. I can’t wait until my son, Waylon, and daughter Sophie are old enough to enjoy this with me. I also want to thank my father for taking me pheasant hunting for the first time and my friends for inviting me to hunt on their land. Their generosity made so many of these memories possible. side of the breastbone to remove both breast halves. Save the Carcass Set aside the remaining carcass for stock. Step 2: Make Pheasant Stock (Optional) Ingredients for Stock: Leftover pheasant carcass 2 celery stalks (chopped) 2 carrots (chopped) 1 onion (chopped) Cold water Instructions: Brown the pheasant carcass with celery, carrots, and onions in a large pot. Once browned, add cold water to cover the carcass and vegetables. Let the stock simmer gently for a few hours. Strain the stock and store for future use. Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, October 16, 2024 -- SEVEN ~ G-T Trophy Corner ~ The Heppner Gazette Times would like to see pictures of your trophy animals from this hunting season. Please send a photo along with your name, age, town you live in, location of the hunt and a description of the animal to editor@ rapidserve.net, upload to Heppner.net or text to 541-215-2274. burn ban starting at 8am Wednesday October 16th. The Heppner Fire De- partment is lifting the Print & Mailing Services *Design *Print Sykes Publishing *Mail 541-676-9228 WWW.HEPPNER.NET Submit News, Advertising & Announcements Letters To The Editor Send Us Photos Start A New Subscription Step 3: Cook the Legs and Thighs (Braising) Ingredients for Braising: 2 celery stalks (chopped) 2 carrots (chopped) Colden Hoeft - Heppner 1 onion (chopped) 3/4 inch of liquid (stock or water) Instructions: Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Brown the legs and thighs in a hot pan with a bit of olive oil. Place the browned legs and thighs into a roasting pan with celery, carrots, and onions. Add 3/4 inch of liquid (stock or water) to the roast- ing pan. Cover the pan with foil or a tight-fitting lid. Braise in the oven for sever- Garin Hoeft - Heppner al hours until the meat pulls easily from the bone. Once done, remove the meat, and add the bones to your stockpot if making stock. Notice is hereby given at the Ione School District Step 4: Cook the Breast that the Ione School District cafeteria. There will be no Board of Directors will work session this month. (Pan-Searing) Ingredients for Cooking meet for a Regular Board Join the meeting now Meet- Meeting on Tuesday, Oc- ing ID: bgn-axbt-hgx Pass- Breast: tober 15, 2024, at 5:30 pm code: 151 980 723# Olive oil Butter Any poultry seasoning of your choice or just salt and pepper Fresh rosemary (chopped) Birthright of Morrow County will be Garlic cloves (minced) Red peppers or Jalapeño having a 4-year anniversary dinner (optional, chopped) with a speaker on Sunday, Tomatoes (chopped) November 3, 2024 at 5:00 pm. Lime juice Instructions: Heat olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add butter once the skillet is hot. Place the pheasant breasts in the hot skillet. Season the breasts with poultry rub or salt and pep- per and add fresh rosemary. Throw in chopped peppers and tomatoes alongside the breasts Flip the breasts after a few minutes and reduce the heat slightly. Add garlic toward the end of cooking to avoid burn- ing. If desired, add chopped Ingredients: jalapeño for heat. 1 whole pheasant (wild) Squeeze lime juice over Olive oil the breasts during the final Butter minutes of cooking. Any poultry seasoning of Cook until the breasts are your choice just slightly pink in the Fresh rosemary center to avoid drying out. Garlic cloves Red peppers or Jalapenos Step 5: Final Touches and (optional) Serving Tomatoes Remove the pheasant Lime juice breasts and veggies from Celery, carrots, and onions the skillet once cooked (for braising and stock) through but still moist. 3/4 inch of broth or water Serve over rice (or your (for braising) choice of sides). Salt and pepper Garnish with the rosemary, Your choice of wild or lime, garlic, and any pan white rice juices. Optionally, serve with the Step 1: Break Down the braised legs and thighs for Pheasant a complete pheasant dish. Remove the Legs Enjoy your perfect- Start by cutting off the legs ly cooked pheasant, full at the joint. of rich flavors and tender Remove the Breast meat! Make a clean cut down each Heppner burn ban lifted Oct. 16 th Notice of board meeting of Ione School District 177 N. Main P.O. Box 337 Heppner, OR 97836 Chris@sykesrealestate.net For Sale $230,000 This cozy 1950s home, located in a peaceful community, offers a blend of classic charm and modern comforts. The 3-bed, 2-bath property features a finished basement with two bedrooms and a bonus room, perfect for extra space or an office. The well-maintained yard, complete with mature fruit trees, provides a relaxing outdoor space. Essential appliances, including a fridge, range, washer, and dryer, are included, making it move-in ready. Sold as-is or with conventional financing, this charming home is ready for you to make it your own! 285 W ARCADE ST Lexington MLS# 24676541 Sold I r t h r I g h t St. Patrick’s Parish Hall. 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