Pheasant Breast with Parsley Sauce

Name: Pheasant Breast with Parsley Sauce
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 people
Ingredients: 2 whole pheasant or chicken breasts; 2 tablespoons canola or grapeseed oil; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; salt; 2 large bunches parsley; 1/2 cup Chives; salt; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

User Reviews

4.5

18 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings
4 people
Calories
261 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
American

Pheasant Breast with Parsley Sauce

Elizabeth Hodge

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This sauce requires a little work, but you will be rewarded with a stunning sauce that's probably not like anything else you've ever eaten. Once you make it, you can use the technique for lots of other herbs, such as basil, tarragon, cilantro, young oregano and marjoram. The searing technique in this recipe is a little unorthodox, but if you let the pheasant come to room temperature before you start it works well. The result is perfectly tender pheasant with just a blush of pink in the center, topped with skin so crispy it's like a cracker.

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Ingredients

Servings

2 whole pheasant or chicken breasts
2 tablespoons canola or grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
salt

PARSLEY SAUCE

2 large bunches parsley
1/2 cup Chives, garlic chives or green tops to spring garlic
salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

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Instructions

Take the pheasant breasts out of the fridge and salt them well. Let them rest at room temperature for 30 minutes while you make the parsley sauce.
To make the sauce, start by bringing a large pot of heavily salted water (it should taste like the sea) to a rolling boil. Dunk the parsley and garlic chives in for about 15 to 20 seconds; if the parsley is old, boil for 30 seconds. Remove and submerge in a bowl of ice water to cool.
Roughly chop the greens and put them in a blender. Add about 1/4 cup of water and puree. Scrape down the sides of the blender if you need to get all the debris smoothly pureed. Scrape all of the puree into a fine-meshed sieve set over a bowl. Let it drain for a few minutes. Remove this liquid and reserve it in a little bowl or dish.
Push the puree through the sieve with a plastic spatula. This will take some doing. Keep at it until the puree left in the sieve is dry looking. From time to time, scrape off the “good stuff” on the other side of the sieve and let it fall into your bowl. This whole process often takes up to 15 minutes of turning, scraping and pushing, turning, scraping and pushing. You now have your base for the sauce. This can all be done a day ahead; if you store the sauce base, keep it in the fridge tightly covered.
To sear the pheasant, first pat it dry with paper towels. Heat the canola or grapeseed oil in a saute pan set over medium-high heat. When the butter is hot, lay the pheasant breast skin side down in the pan -- or on the side where the skin used to be. Sear undisturbed for 2 minutes, pressing down on the breasts with a spatula to make sure the skin gets even contact with the pan.
After it has cooked for 2 minutes, add the butter and when it melts, use a large spoon to baste the hot oil/butter over the breast. Do this repeatedly while the skin side sears. Use the finger test for doneness to test the pheasant: You want it to be medium, or about 145°F to 150°F. This should take about 8 to 10 minutes. Move the pheasant to a cutting board to rest, skin side up.
To finish, put the sauce base in a small pot. Heat until steaming, making sure to not let the sauce even simmer, let alone boil. Add salt to taste, then swirl in 2 tablespoons of butter, one at a time.
Pour some sauce in a pool on the plate and top with the pheasant breast, skin side up. Serve at once with risotto, bread or mashed potatoes.

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Calories 261kcal (13%) Carbohydrates 1g (0%) Protein 12g (24%) Fat 24g (37%) Saturated Fat 9g (45%) Cholesterol 66mg (22%) Sodium 38mg (2%) Potassium 139mg (4%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin A 657IU (13%) Vitamin C 4mg (4%) Calcium 11mg (1%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 261 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	261kcal	13%
Carbohydrates	1g	0%
Protein	12g	24%
Fat	24g	37%
Saturated Fat	9g	45%
Cholesterol	66mg	22%
Sodium	38mg	2%
Potassium	139mg	3%
Fiber	1g	4%
Sugar	1g	2%
Vitamin A	657IU	13%
Vitamin C	4mg	4%
Calcium	11mg	1%
Iron	1mg	6%