$60
Pheasant Pozole Verde
Recipe by Rikki Folger.
Find more from her at Wild and Foraged and Harvesting Nature.
Pozole Verde is a traditional Mexican soup and is generally prepared using pork or chicken. This recipe does well with the use of wild game birds like pheasant or grouse. Pozole is the perfect summer soup with lots of flavor, mild spice and an abundance of fresh toppings. Some ingredients, like canned hominy, are found in the ethnic section of most grocery stores. Tomatillos could be hard to find, depending on where you are in the country. I recommend checking out your local Mexican market or farmers market to find them.
I recommend having all your ingredients prepped before cooking. This will ensure a stress-free cooking experience and it makes life easier. My family enjoys adding their own toppings, so I plate them individually at the center of the table. This soup is best enjoyed fresh but will last up to three days when stored properly in the fridge. You can also freeze in airtight containers to keep it fresh even longer.
Serving Size: 6 servings
Time to make: 1 hours
Special Equipment: Large Dutch Oven or Pot, Large Skillet, Blender
Also works with: Grouse, Chicken, Pork
Ingredients
- Pheasant stock (or chicken stock) · 8 cups
- Kosher salt · 1 teaspoon
- Ground coriander · 1 teaspoon
- Dried oregano · 1 teaspoon
- Bay leaves · 2
- Ground cumin · 2 teaspoons
- Freshly ground black pepper · 1 teaspoon
- Pheasant, boned out and skinned (I used both light and dark meat) · 2 pounds
- Tomatillos, husked and washed · 1 pound
- Yellow onion, roughly chopped · 1
- Poblano chili peppers, seeded and sliced · 3
- Jalapeno, seeded (for more spice keep the seeds or use two serrano peppers) · 1
- Garlic, smashed · 6 cloves
- Avocado oil · 1 tablespoon
- Hominy, rinsed and drained (or three 15oz cans) · 4 cups
- Cilantro (including tender parts of the stems) · 1 bunch
- Garnishes: thinly sliced cabbage, avocado, radishes, sour cream, freshly sliced jalapenos, lime wedges, queso fresco, cilantro, sliced red onion, tortilla chips, or hot sauce · optional
Instructions
- In a large pot bring the pheasant (or chicken) stock, salt, ground coriander, oregano, bay leaves, cumin, and black pepper to a boil. Add pheasant and simmer over very low heat until tender and cooked through, about 25 minutes. Transfer cooked pheasant to a plate, shred the meat while hot and set aside.
- In a blender combine the halved tomatillos with the onion, poblanos and jalapeños, smashed garlic, chopped cilantro and oregano. Pulse until coarsely chopped; be sure to scrape down the sides occasionally. With the blender on, add 1 cup of the broth and puree until smooth.
- In a large deep skillet, heat the avocado oil and place on medium heat. Add the verde sauce and cook until the sauce turns a deep green, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
- Pour the green sauce into the broth. Add the hominy and bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Add the shredded pheasant to the soup, season with salt and pepper and cook just until heated through.
- Serve the pozole with desired toppings and enjoy!
Paired Wines
2022 Belli Chardonnay
Elegantly composed Chardonnay from celebrated Russian River VineyardRecommended
$52
