Volume 11, Issue 21 - July 31, 2006 |
Good Day Member,
This week an old friend of mine will host our Foodservice Daily Newsletter. His
name is Bill MacFarlane. I had the pleasure of meeting him back in the mid 80;s
in Chicago at the NRA Show. I have toured his farm and have promoted his product
since I first put some of his tasty pheasant in my mouth. There is no finer farm
raised pheasant on the planet in my humble opinion. And a finer gentleman, you
would be hard pressed to meet. Let's learn a little more about this regal
bird...
 History of MacFarlane Pheasants, Inc.:
Pheasants are not indigenous to the United States. The first
pheasants were brought here from Great Britain in the late 1800's and shipments
of eggs continued to be brought here into the early 1900's. It was soon
discovered that pheasants thrived here. By the 1920's pheasant populations were
able to sustain hunting. Thus pheasant hunting became popular. In the late
1920's there was a demand for pheasants for release and propagation.
Kenneth MacFarlane went to New York to attend a Game Rearing school. After
completing the course, Kenneth returned to Wisconsin. In 1928, Kenneth imported
eggs from Gaybird Game Farm in England. And in 1929, Kenneth formed MacFarlane
Pheasant Farm. The pheasants were bred for sale to hunt clubs.
Kenneth's brother, Donald MacFarlane returned to Wisconsin in 1935 (Donald had
been working as a chemical engineer for Standard Oil in New Jersey). Donald
worked along side Kenneth in running the pheasant farm. In 1941 Kenneth was
killed in a tragic hunting accident on the Mississippi River. Donald continued
to operate the pheasant farm after Kenneth's death. In 1946 Donald contracted
polio, yet continued to operate the pheasant farm (though he was a paraplegic).
The pheasant farm continued to flourish in the live bird business, providing
birds for propagation and hunt clubs. In 1979 Donald persuaded his son Bill
MacFarlane to return to the farm, at which time MacFarlane Pheasants Inc was
formed. In the early 80's Donald's health declined, and in 1985, Bill took over
operation of the farm with the passing of his father.
Being a progressive thinker, Bill chose in the 1980's to enter into the gourmet
pheasant meat business. Over the years, MacFarlane Pheasants, Inc. developed a
white pheasant which has become the large meaty bird that today is used for our
meat production. The white pheasant is important because the pigmentation of a
colored bird's feathers can leave behind dark spots on the meat; a clean product
at the start results in a superior product for plate presentation. As a
commitment to our meat customers, in 2001 we constructed a state of the art,
fully State of Wisconsin Inspected, cutting and packaging facility, complete
with a fully implemented HACCP plan. We also have access to a USDA processing
facility in which to process product for export. In 2005, we passed the third
party inspection of our farm and production facility to become the only pheasant
purveyor approved by Whole Foods Markets. Our product line includes whole birds,
breast meat cuts and by products - fresh, frozen and smoked - available year
round. We will also custom cut products to meet specific needs and requests.
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MacFarlane Pheasants The largest pheasant farm in North America. Take
a "Virtual Tour" and visit our Online Store. Chefs, contact us for distributor
info. |
Roast Pheasant
Ingredients:
1 MacFarlane pheasant approximately 3 pounds
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 peppercorns
1 small lemon
1 small onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chicken stock
Preparation:
Remove giblets and neck from bird. Rinse bird well in cold water. Rub salt in
cavity and stuff cavity with peppercorns, lemon and onion.
Rub pheasant skin well with olive oil and place bird breast side up in covered
baking dish or Dutch oven. Add giblets, neck and stock. Cover and roast at 250
degrees for 3 hours. Test for doneness by placing meat thermometer in the
thickest part of the breast. Birds should be cooked to 180 degree temperature.
Chef's Notes:
- Pheasants are low in fat. It is important to roast at a low
temperature. Cover tightly.
- Do not cut lemons, as the white membrane will make the
stock bitter.
- Leftover pheasant is excellent in omelets, sandwiches or
salads.
- If preparing more than one bird, reduce the stock by half
for every additional bird. For example:1 bird = 1 cup stock, 2 birds = 1 1/2
cup stock.
- One bird easily feeds two people.
Source: Chef John Schumacher
MacFarlane Pheasant carries a full inventory of frozen
pheasants, with sizes ranging from 1.5 pounds to 4.5 pounds. Also, a wide range
of sizes of whole hickory smoked pheasants, generally ranging from 1.5 to 3
pounds. Since they slaughter weekly most of the year, the fresh sizing will vary
somewhat and they usually have sizes ranging from 2 to 3.5 pounds.
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A note from Bill MacFarlane, Owner
We have made a commitment to the dressed pheasant business
by the addition of our state of the art cut-up and packaging facility. We
know that product appearance and consistency in sizing are vitally important
to our food product distributors and the chefs who procure the products - and
we know that we are able to provide the best in the industry utilizing this
new facility. Our pledge is to continue to strive to be the best in the
business and provide the highest quality pheasant in today's marketplace.
Some of Our Core Values:
Mission Statement:
 Sustained profitability focused on integrity and accountability to our
employees, customers, vendors and neighbors with respect for our birds and the
environment.
Humane Treatment Animals:
 Our birds are placed at lower than standard densities, and given constant
access to quality feed, water and cover.
When shipping day old chicks, we insulate them and place nutrients in the
boxes as well as using environmentally controlled vehicles to assure proper
temperature control.
Customer Satisfaction:
Knowledgeable staff available to assist with customers' questions and
concerns connected with the raising of their birds.
Honest and fair dealing with customer complaints that facilitate a speedy
resolution.
For the rest
of the list...
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Pheasant Breasts with Creamed Morel Mushrooms
Ingredients:
4 boneless pheasant breasts
2 cups water
1 ounce morels, dried
1 ounce butter
1/8 teaspoon garlic, minced
8 ounces heavy cream
1/2 chicken bouillon cube
1 teaspoon tomato paste
salt and white pepper, to taste
Preparation:
Bring the water to a boil and add the morels. Remove from heat and allow the
mushrooms to soak for 1 hour. Remove the mushrooms and reserve the liquid. Rinse
the mushrooms thoroughly under cold running water and pat dry with a towel.
Strain the liquid to remove any dirt particles and cook over high heat until
reduced to 1/4 cup, reserve.
Sauté the mushrooms in the butter and garlic for 2 minutes, do not brown. Add
the heavy cream, bouillon cube and tomato paste and bring to a boil. Reduce the
cream by half until it is quite thick. Adjust flavor with salt and pepper, keep
warm.
Remove skin from breasts, sear breasts in olive oil over high heat for 2 minutes
each side, cover and turn heat down to low for about 5 minutes. Place pheasant
breasts on plate and top with cream sauce.
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