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The pheasant is a feathered bird belonging to the chicken family. The main part of the bird’s diet consists of cereals and insects. It is this fact that determines the valuable nutritional properties of the product. The bright plumage of the pheasant in the Middle Ages made this bird an object of attention of hunters. In modern times, farmers especially grow pheasants for subsequent sale.
However, only the breast part of the pheasant is a world delicacy. Cooks only occasionally use the remaining parts of the bird to make dietary soup.
Are pheasant breasts good?
Contrary to other analog products, pheasant breast is juicy meat. The absence of the need for preliminary pickling is the main advantage of pheasant. It can significantly reduce the total cooking time.
Meat becomes especially tasty after prolonged fermentation. It is best to carry it out by placing the butchered carcass in a vacuum bag. The exposure time is from three to six days at a temperature of 1 ° C – 3 ° C.
Pheasant meat: pros and cons
Pheasant meat has a rich vitamin and mineral composition. The absence of carbohydrates determines the dietary properties of meat: only 100 grams of the product contains 220 kcal.
Among the most beneficial nutrients, experts note B vitamins, iron, choline, potassium, and phosphorus. Due to its rich composition, pheasant meat has some positive properties on the human body:
- Strengthens the immune system
- Helps to reduce hemoglobin levels
- Improves stomach function
- Promotes rejuvenation of the whole body
- Reduces the risk of anemia
Experts have not yet discovered the harmful properties of pheasant meat. However, there are several contraindications to use:
- Chronic protein intolerance
- Disorders of the gastrointestinal tract
In other cases, pheasant meat is a dietary and harmless product for regular consumption.
What does pheasant taste like?
You cannot compare pheasant meat with any other similar product. Pheasant has a rough taste of the domestic game, but at the same time, it is juicy. The tough texture of the meat hides the real pleasure of eating pheasant, and in the skillful hands of a real cook, the meat will literally melt in your mouth. Also, the meat has a specific smell.
On cooked incorrectly, it can interrupt the taste of the dish and spoil the appetite. To get rid of the pheasant smell at home, soak the pheasant carcass in plain water for about 3-4 hours.
What color is pheasant meat when cooked?
Raw pheasant meat has a dark red color. However, the correct cooking process modifies the product. The pheasant turns pale pink, slightly giving off a gray color.
Professionals divide pheasant meat into 2 categories: pheasants from farms always belong to the I category in terms of quality and fatness. The quality of the game can vary, so producers sort the meat into I and II categories.
Why is pheasant so dry?
There is a myth among inexperienced cooks that pheasant meat is dry. However, the pheasant meat is quite soft and juicy. High-fat content in many ways plays a leading role here. The fat layers in the carcass are located in the muscle tissue.
It is an easily soluble, well-digested enzyme that makes the meat juicy. You can rarely find tough pheasant meat. This can only happen if the products of an old bird are sold. The breast of young pheasants is juicy and tender.
Which cooking method is best for pheasants?
There are many ways to cook pheasant: frying, stewing, and baking. The best way to make the meat even juicier and tender are to fry it until golden brown. This method will allow you to achieve a crunch of the skin side while keeping the inner meat browned.
You can also bake a pheasant brisket in its own juice. However, this method of cooking will not allow you to get a crispy product.
How to grill pheasant breasts
An alternative way to cook juicy and crispy pheasant is to use a grill. To repeat this recipe, repeat the necessary ingredients:
- pheasant breast – 1 piece
- soy sauce – 50 ml
- honey – 1 tsp
- olive oil – 1 tbsp
- curry – 1/3 tsp
- oregano (dry) – 1/2 tsp
- sweet paprika – 1 tsp
- mint (dry) – 1/2 tsp
- thyme (dry) – 1/2 tsp
- garlic – 2 teeth.
- pepper mixture (freshly ground) – 1/4 tsp
Step-by-step cooking technique:
- Take a deep bowl, place the pheasant breast there and pour soy sauce into it.
- Grate the garlic. Place it on the breast, sprinkle with sweet paprika, curry powder, freshly ground pepper mixture.
- Pour olive oil over the pheasant breast and add dry herbs: mint, oregano, thyme.
- Place the pheasant breast in an airtight bag and send it to the refrigerator to marinate.
- Preheat the grill and place the meat there.
- Fry, turning it over periodically. The total time of frying a pheasant breast on the grill is 20 minutes.
Kentucky fried pheasant recipe
There are 11 Kentucky spices that will make your meat juicy and delicious. To prepare a well-known recipe, prepare the necessary ingredients:
- pheasant breast – 500 grams
- egg – 1 piece
- flour – 150 grams
- garlic – 1 clove
- monosodium glutamate – 1 tablespoon
- rapeseed oil
- ground chili pepper
- dried sage
- dried basil
- black pepper
- oregano
- onion salt
- marjoram
- paprika
- salt
Step-by-step cooking technology:
- Prepare a deep saucepan and pour oil into it. Preheat to 180 degrees.
- Prepare 4 bowls. Place the thinly sliced pheasant breast in the first one.
- In the second bowl, whisk the egg.
- In the third bowl, sift the flour and add herbs and spices.
- Proceed in stages: take parts of the pheasant breast, dip it in egg, then in flour, and then in spices.
- Lower the breast into boiling water for 4-5 minutes.
How to cook pheasant breasts in the oven
The easiest way to cook pheasant is in the oven. To repeat this simple recipe, prepare the necessary ingredients:
- pheasant breast – 1 kg
- onion – 2 pieces
- garlic – 2 cloves
- mushrooms – 200 grams
- soy sauce – 50 ml
- dry white wine – 50 ml
- brine
- mustard
- pepper mixture
Step-by-step cooking technology:
- Cut the pheasant breast into portions.
- Add coarsely chopped onion to the meat.
- Also, add coarsely chopped garlic cloves.
- Prepare the marinade for the breast: mix soy sauce, dry white wine, brine, and pepper mixture.
- Place the pheasant breast in the marinade for a few hours, add the coarsely chopped mushrooms.
- Prepare a baking dish and place the bird there.
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Place the pheasant in the oven for 2 hours.
How to cook pheasant breast fillets
The juiciest part of the pheasant is the breast fillet. To make this part of the bird even juicier, you need to choose the right recipe. Professional chefs advise you to choose a recipe with porcini mushrooms. To repeat this dish, prepare the necessary ingredients:
- pheasant breast – 500 grams
- porcini mushrooms – 200 grams
- lard – 100 grams
- butter – 40 grams
- onion – 200 grams
- wine – 50 ml
- meat broth – 200 ml
- table salt
- a mixture of crushed peppers
Step-by-step cooking technology:
- Soak the pheasant breast in cold water for 10-12 hours.
- Rinse the breast with cold water and dry with paper towels.
- Cut the pheasant into large portions.
- Peel the onion and cut it into large rings.
- Wash the porcini mushrooms and cut each mushroom into 4 pieces.
- Place the butter in a saucepan. Place the container on the fire and wait for the oil to melt.
- Put porcini mushrooms and onions in a saucepan. Fry until golden brown.
- Cut the lard into medium-sized cubes and mark them on a hot frying pan. Wait until the fat is completely dissolved.
- Rub the pieces of pheasant breast with a mixture of peppers. Place them in boiling melted lard.
- Fry the meat over high heat, turning it over every 3 minutes.
- Turn down to medium heat and cover the pan with a lid. Fry until soft.
- In the end, add the onion, mushrooms, wine, and meat broth. The extinguishing time is 10 minutes.
How to cook pheasant breast in a pan
You can also roast a pheasant breast in a frying pan. To do this, prepare the necessary ingredients:
- pheasant – 1 kg
- porcini mushrooms or champignons – 0.2 kg
- onion – 0.2 kg
- pork fat – 100 g
- butter – 40 g
- red wine – 50 ml
- water or broth – 0.2 liters
- salt, pepper – to taste
- greens, boiled or baked potatoes – for serving
Step-by-step cooking technology:
- Soak the pheasant breast for 12 hours in cool water. Rinse and dry with paper towels.
- Cut the pheasant breast into portions.
- Peel the onion, cut it into halves or quarters of rings.
- Wash the mushrooms, blot them with a paper towel, cut them into 4 parts to make quite large pieces.
- Melt butter in a saucepan. Put mushrooms and onions in it.
- Fry until the liquid released from the mushrooms evaporates from the saucepan. Remove from the heat.
- Cut the fat into small cubes, put it in a frying pan.
- Put the pieces of pheasant into the boiling fat, having previously rubbed them with salt and pepper.
- Fry them over medium heat, turning them over every 3 minutes.
- Turn down the heat. Cover the pan with a lid.
- Continue to fry the pheasant, turning it over occasionally, until the pieces become soft and begin to lag behind the bones.
- Add the onion and mushrooms, pour in the wine and broth.
- Put out the bird with mushrooms for 10 minutes.
How long to pan fry pheasant fillets
Cooking time is a significant factor in the success of the dish. You can easily over-dry a juicy pheasant fillet if you keep it in the pan for too long. The ideal scheme is to periodically turn the bird over.
I personally advise thinly slicing the breast of a pheasant and quickly frying it for 4-5 minutes on each side.
Can you reheat the pheasant?
You can reheat the pheasant if you cooked it yesterday and put it in the refrigerator. To do this correctly and not over-dry the dish, preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Place the dish in the pan, add the cream, and heat for 15-20 minutes.
The cream will help to restore the former juiciness and tenderness of pheasant meat.
How to serve pheasant
Serving largely determines the overall success of the dish. One of the best options: add passioned vegetables, boiled rice or new potatoes, baked apples. Such atypical solutions will help not only to reproduce the impression but also to reveal the unique taste of meat.
You can also serve pheasant with fresh herbs – basil, oregano, or parsley. The main thing is not to serve the pheasant breast with lemon – this will block the product and make it bitter.
How to season pheasant
Choosing a seasoning for a pheasant is a complex process. Professional chefs advise choosing traditional solutions: salt, black pepper, red pepper, and garlic.
However, you can experiment and choose bolder options: paprika, turmeric, ginger, coriander, marjoram, oregano, and rosemary. The main thing is to choose the right proportions and not to block the taste of pheasant.
What goes with pheasant breast
Pheasant meat perfectly reveals its taste in snack dishes, combined with various sauces, vegetables, and green salads. The menu of many restaurants includes a dish with pheasant and carrots.
This vegetable helps to reveal the unique taste of the product due to its sweetness. You can also combine pheasant meat with chicken stock, porcini mushrooms, potatoes, all kinds of vegetables, and herbs. The main condition is the absence of a second bright taste.
Summary
Pheasant meat is unique in its taste properties. Nutritional facts also suggest that it is a wonderful product in a combination of vitamins and minerals. You can choose a variety of cooking options for this product: use a saute pan for frying or a sheet pan for baking pheasant sheets.
If there are no such things for professional cooking in your kitchen, you can use an ordinary frying pan or baking tray. Look for new combinations of products or use the classic traditions of cooking pheasant!