Game Changer!

If you’re looking to start cooking with game meat or fancy switching up your meals, then pheasant is a great place to start.

The flavour of pheasant is mild making it versatile and super suitable for a wide range of dishes. Not to mention the nutritional benefits of game meat – lean and low in fat. Remember to source your meat from a regulated outlet. The British Game Alliance ensures their stockists and suppliers products are guaranteed to be high quality and sustainably sourced.

How about swapping that takeaway for a homemade pheasant and pork burger?

Serves 2 | Prep Time 10 mins | Cooking Time 10 mins

Ingredients:

For the burgers

• 200g Pheasant mince
• 200g Pork mince
• 2g Garlic powder
• 2g Onion powder
• 20ml Water
• 20g Rusk
• 2g Cracked black pepper
• 2g Sea Salt

(*Ask the butcher to mix 140g pheasant breast with 60 pheasant thigh this will help prevent the burger drying out too much*)

Method:

1. Mix all your ingredients in a bowl, using scales (or rough eyeballing it) split the mix into 2 x 210g balls and then flatten out the burgers.
2. Grill each burger for 5 minutes on each side until golden brown.
3. Serve in a brioche bun with cheese, lettuce, red onion and tomato slices

For a quick and healthy mid-week meal how about a Cashew Pheasant Stir Fry…

Serves 4 | Prep Time 15 mins | Cooking Time 10 mins

Ingredients:

• 4 x Pheasant breasts
• 3 x whole garlic (minced)
• 1 x Red onion (Sliced)
• 1 x Medium red sweet pepper (small slices)
• 2 x handfuls mangetout
• 1/3 of a cup of unsalted dry roasted cashews
• 1 x can sliced water chestnuts (drained)
• 2 tbsp reduced soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp Sesame oil

Method:

1. Chop up the red pepper and onion. Remove the ends and string the mangetout and crush the garlic.
2. Heat a non-stick wok or frying pan then add the cashews. Cook until the nuts start to brown then remove from the heat.
3. Once you have removed the cashews from the pan add half the sesame oil to the pan then add in the garlic and onions, stir fry until lightly brown then add in the red pepper, water chestnuts and mangetout.

Or for a twist on a classic, how about these Pheasant Kievs with whole grain mustard mash:

Serves 8 | Prep Time 45 mins | Cooking Time 20mins

Ingredients:

• 8 Pheasant breasts, skinless and boneless
• 225g Dried breadcrumbs
• 75g Parmesan (grated)
• Eggs (beaten)
• 100g Plain flour
• pinch Paprika
• 4 tbsp Sunflower or vegetable oil (for frying)

For the garlic butter

• Garlic cloves (crushed)
• 2tbsp Parsley (finely chopped)
• 200g Butter (Softened)
• Juice of ½ lemon

For the mustard mash

• 1.5kg Potatoes (cut into even chunks)
• 100g butter
• 100ml milk
• 1tsp Wholegrain mustard

(Equipment)

• 1 Medium bowl
• 3 Large plates
• Large frying pan
• Baking tray
• Large saucepan

Method

Make the garlic butter:

1. Place all the ingredients for the garlic butter in a bowl and season well.
2. Mash with a fork until combined and shape into 2 sausages.
3. Tightly wrap in clingfilm and chill or freeze until firm (this can be done up to 3 days in advance)
4. Once solid, slice each roll into 8 even pieces.

Prepare the pheasant

1. Lay the pheasant on the chopping board and use a sharp knife to make a deep pocket inside the breast. The easiest way to do this is to push the point of a knife into the fat end halfway into the fillet. Be careful not to cut the whole way through or the garlic butter will leak out when cooking.
2. Repeat with remaining pheasant breasts.

Stuff the Kievs

1. Push 2 discs of butter inside each pheasant breast, press to flatten and reseal with your hands. Set aside for later.

Coat the Kievs

1. Mix the breadcrumbs and parmesan together on a plate and tip the effs onto another plate. On a third plate mix the flour with paprika and some salt.
2. Dip each breast in the flour, then the egg and finally the breadcrumbs making sure the fillet is fully coated by each. Chill for at least 1 hour before cooking or freeze now.

Cook the Kievs

1. To cook, preheat the oven to 180 ˚C/160 ˚C Fan/Gas Mark 4
2. In a large frying pan heat the oil over a medium-high heat and fry the Kievs for about 1 min on each side until golden (you may need to do this in batches).
3. Transfer to a baking tray and cook for 10-12mins until cooked through.

Prepare the mash

1. Tip the potatoes into a large saucepan, cover with boiling water and cook for about 20 mins or until soft.
2. Drain the potatoes in a colander and leave to steam dry for a few moments before returning them to the pan.
3. Add the butter, milk, mustard and season well. Mash thoroughly until creamy and cover to keep the mash warm before serving.

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