Another recipe from the Cooking Fearlessly book (I love this book).  A lot of different flavors and textures make this soup something special.

I made a game hen along with the pheasant because I wanted to make sure I had enough meat.  Didn't need it at all.  I brined them for about 5 hours and then put some bacon between the skin and the breast meat.  Also put some bacon on top and stuffed some apple into the cavity.

While the birds were cooking, I blistered the poblano to remove the skin.  I wasn't set up to do this because of the indirect cooking for the birds, so I blistered it with a torch (how fun is that?) and then smoke roasted them for a few minutes with the birds.

There's just a little garlic that goes in (about half a cup minced).

The celery, carrot, poblano, jalapeno, red onion, and garlic are cooked in the stock and brought to a simmer.

Corn tortilla strips are fried crispy for a topping

Birds are all done and ready for slicing.

5 minutes before serving, add 1 1/2 cups of cilantro leaves, 1/2 a cup of fresh lime juice (I'd cut this back a bit next time), and the diced pheasant.

Then, put the soup in the bowl and top with the fried tortilla strips and shredded cheese.

A taste bud free for all.