If your Thanksgiving does not entail putting extra leaves in the table, think about eschewing the giant turkey for one of its smaller brethren in a simple and tasty recipe from Brett Laidlaw’s new cookbook, Trout Caviar: Recipes from a Northern Forager.

Baked Pheasant with Wild Mushrooms and Cream

Any kind of fowl, from grouse to game hens, quail, or chicken, will shine in this easy treatment, which beats the canned cream of mushroom soup approach soundly.

1 pheasant, quartered

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Flour

1 1/2 cups chopped wild mushrooms (chanterelles, hedgehogs, hen of the woods, or an assortment)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup dry white wine

Rice or buttered noodles

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Season the pheasant with salt and pepper, and toss it in flour to coat. Layer the mushrooms in the bottom of a baking dish. Place the pheasant on top of the mushrooms and scatter the onions over the pheasant. Combine the cream and the wine and pour over the pheasant. Bake for 15 minutes, baste pheasant with cream. Continue to bake, basting every 10 minutes, until the pheasant is brown and the cream well reduced, about 45 minutes or so. Add a bit of water if the cream reduces too quickly. Serve with rice or buttered noodles.

Meet Brett Laidlaw!

You can meet Brett and buy a signed copy of his book this Saturday, November 19, 11-5:30 at the Alexis Bailly Vineyard’s Chocolate, Cheese, and Wine Tasting just south of Hastings. There is a $10 fee for this event.

Brett will also be at the Minnesota History Center’s Double Discount Days on Sunday, December 4, from 2 to 3 . MHS Members will receive 20% off of their purchase of Trout Caviar.