Game Birds in a Slow Cooker

Matthew enjoys going quail hunting and it's always a challenge how to make these tough little birds come out tasty.  This recipe from slowcookerrecipes.org.uk is pretty tasty and lets the sage flavor of the bird meat come through.  I usually let it cook longer than the recommended 7 hours if I can.


1.4 kg game bird, cut into pieces or 1.4 kg of smaller birds in parts (3lb)
2 cloves garlic
¼ cup of chopped yellow onions
2 tablespoons of olive oil
¼ teaspoon of thyme
¼ teaspoon of poultry seasoning
salt and pepper
1 cup of chicken broth, bouillon or homemade stock
2 tablespoons of honey
¼ teaspoon of dried rosemary
½ cup of sour cream
2 tablespoons of flour
1 cup of cream, half and half or milk

Peel and finely chop the garlic cloves. Peel and chop the yellow onions. Heat a large heavy frying pan to medium high and add the olive oil (use more if needed). Add the chopped garlic and the chopped onions to the frying pan and sauté them until they are limp but not browned or caramelized.

Remove the garlic and the onions from the frying pan leaving behind the oil and set them aside. Add the pieces of game bird to the frying pan and add a little more oil if needed and lightly brown the pieces on all sides. Do them in batches if you don’t have enough room.

While the game bird pieces are browning, start the covered slow cooker on low heat. Once the pieces are browned, place them in the slow cooker. Pour the chicken stock, broth or bouillon over the bird and add the garlic and onions, the thyme and poultry seasoning, the salt and pepper to taste, and the honey. If you like cooking wine or sherry now is a good time to add a splash or two. Mix everything around well then sprinkle the rosemary over the top.

Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low heat for about 6 hours. Remove the lid and add the sour cream to the mixture and stir it around. Replace the lid and cook on low for another hour. Poke the game birds while your adding the sour cream. If they seem tough, you can add more cooking time or increase the heat to high.

In a blender or shaker, combine the cream, half and half or milk and the flour. Make sure the mixture is smooth. Remove the lid from the slow cooker again and pour the mixture in and stir around. Replace the lid and cook for another hour.

Serve the slow cooker game birds over or with rice or stuffing.

Quail with Ginger-Cranberry Pilaf

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 cups long-grain brown rice
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
8 semi-boneless quail (about 4 ounces each; see
Shopping Tip)
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
2 cups chopped peeled pears (about 2 medium)

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large, high-sided, ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add onion and ginger to the pan; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in cranberries, sage, thyme and rice. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Pour in broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered, until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, 45 to 50 minutes.

Meanwhile, season quail with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the quail, in 2 batches, until browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a large plate.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

When the rice is done, stir in pears, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place the quail breast-side up on top of the rice. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake uncovered until the rest of the liquid is absorbed and the quail is cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve the quail with the pilaf.

Roasted Pheasant with Wheat Berry Salad

1 1/4 cups wheat berries (see Ingredient Note)
2 medium Gala apples, peeled and cut into eighths
2 cups halved peeled shallots (10-12 small shallots)
1 tablespoon walnut oil or canola oil
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
1 3-pound pheasant (see Sources)
1 1/2 cups apple cider
One 4-inch cinnamon stick

Place wheat berries in a large saucepan and add water to cover them by 2 inches. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat; reduce heat, cover and simmer gently until tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375°F.

Toss apples, shallots, oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Remove giblets (if included) from pheasant. Loosen the skin over the breast and thigh meat and rub the remaining salt and pepper under the skin; place the pheasant, breast-side down, on top of the apple mixture. Roast for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring cider and cinnamon stick to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Boil until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat; discard the cinnamon stick.

After 30 minutes, turn the bird over and baste with a couple tablespoons of the reduced cider, stirring it into the apple mixture. Continue roasting, basting with reduced cider every 15 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh without touching bone registers 165°F, 40 to 50 minutes more.

Transfer the pheasant to a cutting board; let rest for 10 minutes before carving. Transfer the apple mixture to a large bowl. Stir in the reserved wheat berries and any accumulated pheasant juices. Serve the pheasant with the wheat berry salad.

Orange Roasted Duck

1 5-pound duck
2 small oranges
1/2 cup orange marmalade
3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce, divided
3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large roasting pan with foil.

Remove both wingtips at the top joint with kitchen scissors or a heavy knife; reserve wing tips. Reserve neck (discard the rest of the giblets). Trim the excess skin and fat around the neck and cavity opening. Grate 1/4 teaspoon orange zest and set aside. Cut oranges into quarters. Set aside 3 sections and place the remaining orange sections inside the duck; fold the wings under and tie the legs together with kitchen string. With a skewer or fork, prick holes in the skin without piercing the flesh. (This allows fat to drain during roasting.)

Whisk marmalade and 2 tablespoons soy sauce in a small bowl. Loosen the skin over the breast and thigh meat and rub about 3 tablespoons of the marmalade mixture under the skin. Place breast-side down on a rack in the prepared roasting pan.

Roast the duck for 1 hour. Remove the duck from the pan and carefully pour off the fat. Return the duck to the rack, breast-side up. Continue roasting, basting every 15 minutes with another 2 tablespoons of the marmalade mixture, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh without touching bone registers 165°F, 1 to 1 1/4 hours more.

Meanwhile, place the reserved wing tips and neck in a medium saucepan, add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the broth is reduced by half, 5 to 7 minutes. Strain and discard solids; return the broth to the pan. Squeeze the juice from the reserved orange sections into a small bowl; add cornstarch and whisk until smooth. Stir the juice mixture, reserved zest and brown sugar into the broth; cook over medium heat, stirring, until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce.

Transfer the duck to a cutting board; let rest for 15 minutes before removing the string and carving. Serve with the sauce on the side.