Indian Spiced Pheasant Breast Salad

Curry spiced pheasant breast summer salad

When I came up with the idea a couple of nights back to make a curried pheasant breast dish, I did not fully consider how appropriate that would be for dinner on a particularly hot summer's evening. Fortunately, I came up with this plan to make a cold, curry spiced pheasant breast Indian themed salad instead. I essentially served the cooled pheasant breasts with Indian spiced chickpeas (essentially just spiced onions with the onions substituted by chickpeas) and an experimental simple salad in what is actually homemade pakora sauce. The only element of the combination served warm is the naan bread. 

Cook Time

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 8 min

Ready in: 23 min (plus cooling time for pheasant)

Yields: 2 servings

Patting pheasant breast in curry seasoned flour

Ingredients

• 2 skinless pheasant breast fillets
• 2 tablespoons plain/all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon (or to taste) hot curry powder
• Salt
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 14 ounce/400g can chickpeas in water, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons tomato ketchup (1 each for chickpeas and mixed salad)
• 2 teaspoons mint sauce (1 each for chickpeas and salad)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground fenugreek
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder (1/4 teaspoon each for chickpeas and salad)
• 1 teaspoon runny honey
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 teaspoon dried coriander leaf/cilantro
• 3 tablespoons natural yoghurt
• 6 crisp Little Gem or Romaine/cos lettuce leaves, rolled and shredded
• 10 baby plum tomatoes, halved down through the core
• 4 inch (10cm) piece of cucumber (variety known as English cucumber, US), halved down through the core and sliced
• 3 or 4 slices from peeled and halved brown onion, separated into strands
• 2 mini garlic and coriander/cilantro naan breads

Spicy floured pheasant breasts are added to frying pan

Put the flour and curry powder in a flat bottomed bowl and season further with a generous pinch of salt. Use a table knife (yes, honestly!) to stir/combine and you will not create lumps in the mixture.

Pour a little oil into a large frying pan and bring it up to a medium heat. Pat the pheasant breasts on both sides in the flour mix to ensure even covering, gently shake off any excess flour and fry on a medium heat for four minutes each side.

Pheasant breasts are turned to fry on second side

When the pheasant breasts are done, lift them to a plate, cover and leave them to rest and cool completely.

Spicy sauce for chickpeas ingredients

To a large glass or stone bowl add 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup, 1 teaspoon mint sauce, 1/2 teaspoon ground fenugreek, 1/4 teaspoon chilli powder, the honey, the lemon juice and the dried coriander/cilantro. Stir well with a wooden spoon to properly and fully combine.

Chickpeas are added to spicy sauce

Add the rinsed chickpeas to the spicy sauce and carefully stir fold with the wooden spoon to ensure even coating.

Simple pakora sauce ingredients

Put the yoghurt, 1 tablespoon of ketchup, 1 teaspoon mint sauce and 1/4 teaspoon chilli powder into a second bowl. Season with a little salt and stir with a wooden spoon to combine.

Salad ingredients are added to pakora sauce

Add the salad elements to the bowl with the pakora sauce and carefully stir fold to ensure even coating.

Lay the rested and cooled pheasant breasts on a chopping board and slice at a 45-degree angle. Arrange 1 pheasant breast on each serving plate, flanked in each instance by half the salad and half the spiced chickpeas. Heat 2 naan breads in a hot oven or under a hot grill/broiler, or per the instructions on the pack. Note that it is sometimes a good idea to sprinkle them with a little cold water prior to heating to ensure they are moist. Cut the naan breads in half and plate a half at either end of the sliced pheasant.

Cheese Crusted Pheasant Breast with Hasselback Potatoes

 

Cheese crusted pheasant breast with hasselback potatoes

Hasselback potatoes are a lot easier to prepare than they may first appear and are a great way to add an extra little bit of class to your serving plate. They work very well with this simple, pan fried pheasant breast, topped with a cheesy combination of peppers.

Cook Time

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 1 hour 15 min

Ready in: 1 hour 30 min

Yields: 1 serving

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt
• 1 large garlic clove, peeled and crushed or grated
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 2 medium baking potatoes
• 1 large skinless pheasant breast fillet
• Black pepper
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 1/4 red bell pepper, seeded and moderately finely diced
• 1/4 green bell pepper, seeded and moderately finely diced
• 2 ounce (50g) piece of cheddar or similar hard cheese, grated
• Pinch of chilli powder (optional)

Combining flavourings for hasselback potatoes

Method

Put your oven on to preheat to 200C/Gas Mark 6/400F.

Pour the olive oil into a glass or stone bowl. Add the garlic, rosemary and a generous pinch of salt. Stir very well to combine.

Skewered and sliced baking potatoes

Wash the potatoes, dry with kitchen paper and sit them on a wooden chopping board. The potatoes have to be threaded on to a metal skewer and you want to go through them lengthways about half an inch (1.25cm) up from the bottom as you view them on the chopping board. Take your time doing this to ensure you do it right and avoid piercing your hand with the skewer. The easiest way is to sit the potatoes up on one end, one at a time, and force the skewer from the top, down and through.

Sit the potatoes back on the chopping board, skewered sides down. Take a very sharp knife and make a series of cuts across the potatoes and down through to the skewer, perhaps just slightly less than a quarter inch (0.6cm) apart. Don't make them too close together or you risk taking a wedge out of the potato!

Sit the potatoes on a baking tray, cut sides up. Pour the oil mix carefully over the top and gently rub it in with your hands, trying to ensure as much as possible goes down between the cuts. Put the tray in to the preheated oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Cheesy combination for topping pheasant breast

Season the pheasant breast on both sides with salt and pepper and place it in a small, plastic freezer bag. Lightly pound with such as a small rolling pin, just to flatten it slightly and help tenderise it. Be very careful not to use too much force or you will tear the delicate meat. This is not essential but does make a big difference to the finished product.

When the potatoes have been in the oven for 1 hour, pour a little vegetable oil into a frying pan and bring it up to a medium heat. Lay the pheasant breast in the pan to fry on a low to medium heat for 4 minutes on each side. Turn off the heat, remove the pan to a heatproof cool surface and allow the breast to rest for 5 minutes. Put your kitchen grill/broiler on to preheat to its maximum setting.

Combine the cheese, bell peppers, chilli powder and some black pepper in a small bowl.

Hasselback potatoes removed from oven

Remove the potatoes from the oven to your chopping board, protecting your hands at all times with oven gloves as the skewer and the potatoes will be incredibly hot. Holding the handle of the skewer with one hand, use a fork to slide the potatoes off the skewer and on to your serving plate. If they are fully cooked, they should easily slide free.

Cheesy combination is made to top pheasant breast

Carefully arrange the cheesy combination on top of the pheasant breast. Place the pan under the heat of the grill/broiler for 2 to 3 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling.

Tucking into cheesy pheasant breast and hasselback potatoes

Lift the cheesy pheasant breast to your plate with a spatula and serve.

Pheasant and Anchovy Puff Pastry Pizza

Pheasant breast and anchovy puff pastry pizza

Yes - the anchovies are optional! I thought I would get that bit out of the way straight from the outset as I know there are many people who are totally put off by even the thought of anchovies on their pizza. Personally, I love them - and the surf  'n' sky (as opposed to surf 'n' turf) theme they give to the dish - but if you don't share my affection for these little fishy fillets, simply omit them from the recipe and follow the remaining instructions with the anchovies off the table.

The second potential issue some may find with this recipe - if perhaps less controversial - is the use of puff pastry as a pizza base. This is something I have done many times before and have also seen others doing so. It may be new to you but I promise it does work very well and gives a new twist to your favourite type of pizza, whatever that may be.  

Cook Time

Prep time: 15 min (plus cooling time for sauce and pheasant breast)

Cook time: 35 min

Ready in: 50 min (plus cooling time for sauce and pheasant breast)

Yields: 1 medium pizza (approximately 10" in diameter)

Principal pizza topping ingredients

Ingredients

• 14 ounce (400g) can chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
• 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and grated
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and pepper
• 1 skinless pheasant breast fillet
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 1/2 pound (225g) puff pastry
• Plain (all-purpose) flour for rolling pastry
• 1 small beaten egg
• 6 to 8 small anchovy fillets
• 6 to 8 baby plum tomatoes, halved down through core
• 6 to 8 pitted black olives, halved down through core
• Generous handful coarsely grated/shredded cheddar cheese

 

Assembled simple pizza sauce ingredients

Method

Note that you may wish to make the sauce and even fry the pheasant breast the night before if time is short when cooking in the evening. Simply refrigerate them (separately) in appropriate containers.

Pour the canned tomatoes into a saucepan. Add the garlic and oregano and season with salt and pepper. Put the saucepan on to a medium heat and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until a rich, lush sauce is formed. Remove from the heat, cover, set aside and leave until completely cool.

Preparing to lightly pound pheasant breast

This bit is not absolutely essential but it does help tenderise the pheasant breast and allows it to cook more quickly and evenly. Season the breast on both sides with salt and pepper and slip it into a plastic freezer bag. Lightly pound the breast with a rolling pin for a few seconds until it is flattened slightly and a little larger in size. Be careful not to hit it too hard or it will quickly tear and come apart!

Gently frying pheasant breast

Pour a little vegetable oil into a small, non-stick frying pan and bring it up to a medium heat. Fry the pheasant breast over a low to medium heat for 4 minutes each side or until just cooked. Remove from the pan to a plate, cover and leave to cool.

Large dinner plate is used as a template for cutting pastry

Put your oven on to preheat to 210C/Gas Mark 7/425F.

Roll the pastry out on a clean, dry, floured surface to a square just large enough that you can use a 13" (32cm) dinner plate as a template to cut from it a circle.

Puff pastry pizza base ready for baking

Lay a sheet of greaseproof baking parchment on a large baking tray or sheet and carefully lift the circle of pastry on to it. The easiest way to achieve this is to very loosely roll the pastry around your well floured rolling pin and then unroll it on the paper. Carefully crimp the outer half inch (1.25cm) of the pastry to form a rim of sorts. Use a fork to very gently create a series of holes all over the inner circle as shown. Be sure to take the time to do this (takes a couple of minutes) as it prevents what will be the main bed of the pizza rising too much during the initial cooking process. 

Glaze the border of the pastry well with beaten egg and put the tray in the oven for an initial ten minutes.

Partly baked puff pastry pizza base

Take the pastry from the oven. It should already have started to colour slightly. Give the border/rim only another brush with the beaten egg for an extra colourful final crust.

Toppings are carefully added to puff pastry pizza

Spoon about two-thirds of your sauce mixture on to the pizza base. I will include another recipe at a later date showing what I did with the remaining sauce. It will keep in the refrigerator for easily a couple of days. Use the back of your spoon to swirl the sauce gently around to ensure it reaches but does not encroach upon the rim.

When you are happy the sauce is evenly dispersed, decorate with the finely sliced pheasant breast, anchovy fillets, halved tomatoes and olives.

Cheese is scattered over pizza toppings

Scatter the cheese carefully over the topping and return the pizza to the oven for ten further and final minutes.

Pheasant and anchovy puff pastry pizza is served

Slide the cooked pizza carefully from the baking sheet on to a chopping board and season with a little more pepper (optional). Use a sharp knife to cut the pizza into segments before sliding on to your serving plate.

Stilton Glazed Pheasant Breast on Baby Leek and Garlic Rice

Stilton crusted pheasant breast on baby leek and garlic rice

Stilton cheese, beautifully melted over a pan fried pheasant breast, served on a simple bed of baby leek and crushed garlic rice... Sound good? I may well have mentioned it before on this blog but I am both a cheese-a-holic and a passionate lover of Stilton cheese, in particular. I have been fortunate enough to have tasted an unknown number of cheeses from around the world over a period of many years but nothing for me compares to this delicious, creamy, blue cheese wonder. The fact that it pairs so well with so many types of wild game, in so many different ways, just further enhances its incredible appeal.

Cook Time

Prep time: 5 min

Cook time: 15 min

Ready in: 20 min

Yields: 1 serving

Baby leek

Ingredients

• 3 ounces (75g) basmati or long grain rice
• Salt
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 1 skinless pheasant breast fillet
• Black pepper
• 2 or 3 slices Stilton cheese, as required
• 1 small baby leek, trimmed and sliced into discs (you may not wish to use it all)
• 1 large garlic clove, peeled and crushed or grated

Method

Put a large pot of lightly salted water on to a high heat until the water starts to boil.

Wash the rice through a sieve under running cold water before adding to the boiling water. Adjust the heat to achieve a moderate simmer for 10 minutes (or per the instructions on your pack, if different, as rice types do vary in this way), stirring occasionally and well.

Pheasant breast is put on to fry

When the rice is on, pour a couple of tablespoons of oil into a small, non-stick saucepan and bring it up to a medium heat. Season the pheasant breast with salt and pepper and fry for 4 minutes each side or until done. When you have turned the pheasant breast, put your kitchen grill (broiler) on to preheat at a high setting.

Stilton is arranged on cooked pheasant breast

Arrange the Stilton slices on top of the fully cooked pheasant breast, breaking them up if required to ensure even covering. Place the pan under your hot grill for a minute or so, until the cheese is just melted and no more, or you risk it splitting.

Stilton crusted pheasant breast 

Lift the breast fillet to a chopping board and allow to rest while you attend to the rice.

Baby leek and garlic are added to drained rice

Drain the rice well at your sink through a sieve and return to the empty pot. Allow it to steam off for a couple of minutes and dry out slightly before gently stir folding in the leek and garlic.

Baby leek and garlic rice

Spoon the rice into a deep serving plate and spread out to form a bed. Slice the pheasant breast into three large pieces before arranging on top of the rice.

Pheasant and Black Pudding Pasties

 

Pheasant and black pudding pasty with tomato chutney

Pasties have gradually come to take many different shapes and forms since their likely humble beginnings as Cornish pasties, that product prepared by their wives for the tin miners of the day to take down the mines for their lunch. Sweet or savoury, any number of foodstuffs have now been folded and crimped in pastry and baked in the oven to delicious effect. While it may seem to many that the extremely lean nature of many types of wild game would cause the meat to dry out when cooked in this way, the opposite is actually the case, with the pastry protecting in this instance the pheasant breast and keeping all the tasty juices inside. The addition of black pudding further flavours and moistens the meat and - provided the pasties are rested properly when removed from the oven (this is essential!) - the pheasant breast meat will be enjoyed at a stage of tender perfection.

Cook Time

Prep time: 30 min

Cook time: 40 min

Ready in: 1 hour 10 min (plus resting time)

Yields: 2 medium pasties

Principal pasty ingredients

Ingredients

• 2 medium sized and skinless pheasant breast fillets
• 2 half-inch (1.25cm) thick slices of Stornoway black pudding (or similar)*
• 1/2 pound (225g) pack of premade puff pastry
• Salt and pepper
• 1 egg, beaten in a small cup or bowl
• Flour for rolling pastry

Black pudding is crumbled and arranged on pheasant breast

Method

Lay the pheasant breast presentation (smooth) sides down on a clean plate. You will see in this instance that I had left the tenders attached to the breast. This is optional but they do help secure the black pudding in place when you reach the stage of lifting your assemblies on to the pastry. Ensure you remove any remaining plastic rind from the black pudding slices before gently squeezing/crumbling them that you can fit one on each pheasant breast in a single layer as shown. Do not include too much as this could cause the pasties to burst in the oven and it is better to have a little left over black pudding.

Pheasant tender is folded over black pudding

If you do have the pheasant tenders still attached to the breasts, fold them over as shown in the above image.

Pheasant breast is laid on rolled out pastry circle

Cut the pastry block in half and roll the halves out one at a time on a lightly floured surface to a square just large enough that you can use a 9-inch (23cm) dinner plate as a template to cut out a circle. Lay a pheasant breast and black pudding combination on one half of each circle (black pudding side down) and lightly brush the arc of the pastry around the pheasant with beaten egg.

Pastry is folded over pheasant breast

Carefully lift the empty half of the pastry up and over the pheasant breast and gently smooth it out around the edges on top of the egg washed border so that it sticks. Use either your index fingers or the handle end of a dessert spoon to carefully crimp the seal all the way around. Allow the pasties to sit and rest for the first time while your oven preheats to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6.

Glazed pasties ready for baking

Lay some baking/parchment paper on a baking sheet and carefully lift the pasties on to it. Glaze all over with more beaten egg and cut a half-inch steam vent in the centre with the point of a very sharp knife. Place the tray into the oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until the pastry is beautifully risen and golden.

Cooked pasties are left to rest

Take the tray from the oven and lift the cooked pasties with a large spatula to a cooling rack or plate. Allow to rest for a minimum 15 minutes before serving.

Pheasant Breast Schnitzel with Roasties

 

Pheasant schnitzel with roast potatoes, sprouts and cranberry sauce

A schnitzel for many people will immediately conjure up images of the famous Austrian dish, Wiener Schnitzel, made from a fillet of pounded veal coated in breadcrumbs before being fried. While that is understandable, schnitzels of many different type are popular in Austria and particularly Southern Germany, where you will find them regularly in restaurants made with everything from pork or beef to turkey. The breast fillets from wild game birds such as pheasants are perfect for schnitzels as the cooking and preparation method helps prevent the ultra lean meat overcooking and becoming tough.

Cook Time

Prep time: 15 min (plus 30 min cooling time for boiled potatoes)

Cook time: 1 hour

Ready in: 1 hour 45 min

Yields: 1 serving

Ingredients

• 5 medium sized baby potatoes, or as desired
• Salt
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 1 skinless pheasant breast fillet
• Black pepper
• Dried tarragon
• 1 egg, beaten 
• 2 tablespoons plain/all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
• 6 to 8 Brussels sprouts, or as desired 
• Cranberry sauce as required
• 1 lemon wedge to garnish

Method

Wash the potatoes but leave them whole and unpeeled. Put them into a pot of cold, salted water and bring the water to a simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, until the potatoes are just softened. Drain, set aside and allow to cool completely (minimum of 30 minutes but longer is fine).

Pour enough vegetable oil into a medium casserole dish or similar to fill it to a depth of around 0.5" (1.25cm) and place the dish into your cold oven. Put the oven on to preheat to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6.

Pheasant breast is firstly seasoned

Season the pheasant breast on both sides with salt, pepper and some dried tarragon. The tarragon is of course optional or could be substituted with the likes of thyme, if preferred.

Pheasant breast in freezer bag for pounding

Place the seasoned pheasant breast in a plastic freezer bag, comfortably large enough to contain it. Sit the bag on a hard surface such as a chopping board and use a small rolling pin or similar to gently pound the breast to an even thickness of about 0.5" (1.25cm).

Prepared schnitzel is left to rest before frying

Put the breadcrumbs, flour and beaten egg in to 3 different, similarly sized, semi-deep and suitable plates/bowls. Pat the pheasant breast on both sides in the flour before dredging in the egg and patting on both sides in the breadcrumbs. Dredge again in the egg and pat a second time in the breadcrumbs for an extra thick and ultimately crunchy coating. Very importantly, sit the prepared schnitzel on a plate and leave it for 15 minutes to allow the egg to seep into the breadcrumbs. If you fry it when the breadcrumbs are completely dry, they will burn on the outside and turn unpleasantly bitter to taste.

Peel/rub the skins from the cooled potatoes before adding them carefully to the hot oil, being aware of potential spitting/splashing. Turn them around in the oil with a metal spatula and cook in the oven for 30 minutes, carefully turning again every 10 to 15 minutes to ensure even cooking.

Pheasant schnitzel is shallow fried in oil

When the potatoes are about 10 minutes into their cooking time, pour  little oil into a non-stick frying pan and fry the pheasant schnitzel for 7 or 8 minutes each side over a low to medium heat. 

The cooking time of the sprouts will vary hugely, depending on their size. Do bear in mind that the most common reason for people not liking sprouts is that they are served overcooked! These medium sprouts were added to boiling, salted water for 10 minutes but this can vary a few minutes each way for smaller or larger sprouts.   

At the end of the cooking time, the pheasant meat in the schnitzel should be cooked and the breadcrumbs beautifully crisp and golden. Lift the schnitzel to a heated plate, cover with foil and leave to rest for 5 minutes.

Roast potatoes are drained on kitchen paper

Lift the potatoes with the slotted spoon from the cooking dish to a deep plate or bowl lined with kitchen paper and allow to drain off for a couple of minutes. Season with salt and malt vinegar, as desired. Drain the sprouts at your sink through a colander.

Tucking in to pheasant breast schnitzel

Plate the schnitzel, with the potatoes and sprouts alongside. Add a couple of teaspoons of cranberry sauce to the plate and a lemon wedge to the top of the schnitzel to serve.

Pheasant Breast with Red Salsa Mash

Pan fried pheasant breast with red salsa mash and peas

This dish features one of the last pheasant breasts I had in my freezer from last winter's shooting season and as there will of course be no more fresh ones until at least October, I wanted to create a very simple but still tasty dish that highlights the natural pheasant flavours at their very best. I therefore fried the breast whole before serving it with some red pesto flavoured mash and frozen peas.

Cook Time

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 25 min

Ready in: 35 min

Yields: 1 serving

Ingredients

• 2 medium sized baking type potatoes
• Salt
• 1 skinless pheasant breast fillet
• Black pepper
• Sunflower oil for frying
• 1 teaspoon red salsa paste (supermarket bought in a jar)
• Frozen peas, quantity as desired
• Malt vinegar
• Dried oregano to garnish (optional)

Method

Peel the potatoes and chop to around 1.5 inch (4cm) chunks. Put them into a pot of cold, salted water and put the pot on to a high heat to reach a boil. Adjust the heat at this stage to maintain a moderate simmer until the potatoes are just softened. This should take approximately 20 minutes but test them with a skewer or fork after 15 minutes.

Pheasant breast is added to the pan to fry

When the potatoes have started simmering, pour a couple of tablespoons of oil into a frying pan and bring it up to a medium heat. Season the pheasant breast on both sides and fry over a low to medium heat for about 8 minutes each side, depending upon size, until done. Lift to a plate when ready and cover with foil to rest for 5 minutes.

Red salsa paste is added to mashed potatoes

Drain the potatoes at your sink through a colander and return them to the empty pot. Very importantly, allow them to steam off for 2 or 3 minutes before mashing. This allows the excess moisture to escape in the form of steam, as otherwise, you will have soggy mash. Add the peas to pot of boiling water to simmer for 3 minutes.

Mash the potatoes with a hand masher before adding the red pesto and carefully stirring it through to fully combine.

Drain the peas when done, return to the empty pot and season with salt, black pepper and malt vinegar. Gently swirl the pot to evenly distribute the seasonings.

Red pesto mash and peas are plated

Spoon the mash into the centre of a deep serving plate and flatten with the back of the spoon to form a round bed for the pheasant. Spoon the peas on to the plate to form a border around the mash bed.

Sliced pheasant breast is arranged on mash bed

Lift the rested pheasant breast to a chopping board and cut at a slight angle into about 4 or 5 thick slices. Arrange on the pesto mash bed and garnish with a scattering of dried oregano.