Pheasant’s Last Kick

Washburn's Outdoor Journal / March 1, 2014

Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved.

It was my turn to cook — So for last night’s dinner, I decided to fix a ‘standard batch’ of Kung Pao Pheasant. Just about the time everything was ready, I discovered a lone thigh hiding behind a group of oranges. Don’t know how it ended up there, but I decided to teach that fugitive leg a lesson.

Tossing the thigh into the red hot wok, I used all the oil from two large cayennes to season that single piece of meat. After giving the leg a good searing on both sides, I added it to the rest of the batch and we dug in. The marriage of ring-neck and cayenne was spectacular. All I can say is that that pheasant leg ended up getting in one last kick — delicious!

Recipe Tip: At the end of each summer, Steve Schutte [C398 Retired] presents me with around 200 of his world famous, homegrown cayennes. Cayennes are my very favorite pepper for seasoning most pheasant dishes. They are consistently predictable and never fail to add as much flavor as they do heat. Cayennes come into their greatest glory when used to season Asian dishes. Use as much or as little as your taste dictates. If you’re not already incorporating cayenne peppers into your favorite pheasant recipes, you should definitely give them a try. The combination of flavors is just too good to keep apart.

About The Author

Lowell Washburn

Born in North Central Iowa, Lowell Washburn has enjoyed a lifelong interest in the out of doors. He began photographing wild birds at age 10, and outdoor photography soon became his passion and eventually a career. Washburn is best known for images that portray migratory waterfowl and other wetland wildlife in their natural habitats. His best photographs are often obtained after spending hours floating amid natural marshlands, half submerged within the dark confines of a floating muskrat house blind. Upon completing military service as a sergeant with the Fourth Infantry Division in the central highlands of South Vietnam, Washburn returned to Iowa in 1970. His wildlife photos began appearing in Iowa newspapers in 1971 and he began authoring outdoor news columns in 1978. Today, his photos and writing have appeared in over 50 national and international magazines including Outdoor Life, International Wildlife, Field&Stream, Ducks Unlimited, Pointing Dog Journal, the NAFA Journal, and others. After working as a naturalist for Iowa’s county conservation board system, Washburn was recruited by the Department of Natural Resources in 1984. His primary duties included statewide communication with Iowa newspaper, television, and radio news agencies with a primary goal of increasing the level of public awareness and appreciation for Iowa's natural resources. During his tenure he also served as staff member for the Iowa Conservationist Magazine and for the DNR’s Iowa Outdoors Magazine. Washburn retired from the DNR in 2010. In addition to wildlife photography, his ongoing outdoor passions include falconry, traditional bow hunting, waterfowling, spending time with hunting dogs of all types, and herpetology.

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