Ingredients
- 4 large pheasant breasts, removed from the bone with skin and wing tip attached (use
- 8 pheasant breasts if small)
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 cup salt
- 1 quart cold water
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup diced shallots
- 1 large vanilla bean, split lengthwise in half and scraped to gather the vanilla seeds
- 1/2 cup dry white wine, preferably Chardonnay
- 1 cup pear cider
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons preserved ginger, minced
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups dry red wine
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon coriander seed, toasted and crushed fine
- 2 Anjou pears (reds preferably), halved, cored and sliced into 1/2-inch thick slices
- 2 cups rice pilaf, formed into a cylinder in a gelatin mold
- 2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives
- 4 chives blades, for garnish
Directions
To cure the pheasant: In a large bowl combine the water, 1/4 cup each of sugar and salt, mixing to dissolve. Add the pheasant breasts, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
To make sauces: In a large, non-stick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium to medium-high heat. Add the shallots cooking until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla bean and seeds, white wine, cider, and cream. Bring to a simmer cooking until the liquids are reduced and thickened to sauce consistency, about 10 minutes. Add the ginger. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
In another saucepan, combine the red wine and the honey. Bring to a simmer over high heat cooking until reduced to coat the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. Reserve.
To cook the pheasants: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large non-stick ovenproof skillet, add 2 tablespoons butter and melt over high heat. Season the pheasant with salt, pepper, and coriander. Add the pheasant skin side down, cooking until browned and well-seared, about 5 minutes. Turn over and transfer the pan to the lower rack of the oven. Cook until just about medium, about 6 to 8 minutes depending on the size of the pheasant breast. Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven. Allow to rest a couple of minutes before cutting.
In another large, non-stick, skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the butter over high heat. Add the Anjou pears cooking until they just begin to soften slightly, about 2 minutes. Add two tablespoons of the sugar cooking while occasionally stirring until browned on the edges, about 4 minutes. Remove the pears and keep warm.
To Serve: Position the rice pilaf mixture in a cylinder form in the center of each hot serving plate. Position the pear slices around the rice cylinder. Slice the pheasant on a bias to yield 4 or 6 thin broad slices. Stack the slices on top of the rice cylinder. Spoon the vanilla-ginger and red wine sauce artistically over and around the pheasant and on the plate. Sprinkle the dish with freshly ground black pepper and chives. Garnish with the vanilla bean and sprigs of chive over the pheasant. Serve immediately.
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By pegsmiley1_12356190
Kent, WA
on November 27, 2009
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I made this dish for Thanksgiving for my hubby and I and I was so looking forward to a new departure from the usual turkey. I was impressed by the juiciness of the bird but put off by the saltiness. The wine sauce did help as it is very sweet but the salt was still the predominant flavor. Next time I will use chicken breast and cut the salt in the brine by half. I will also save some time and money by cutting the white sauce all together. The combination of vanilla and ginger for me was just not right. The sauce felt like it was trying to force itself and make the flavors work. My favorite part of the dish was the spice blend to fry the pheasant. The coriander was very fragrant and the fry method made the skin very crisp and delicious.
By jrquigley_8670028
Roy, WA
on October 28, 2009
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This is a great recipe, This was my frist time cooking pheasant,can't wait toget my hands on some pheasant and make this again .I did use 5 different pans but it was worth it
By griobhtha_10756263
Redlands, CA
on November 03, 2008
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This was fantastic! I had boneless, skinless pheasant breasts, so the cooking time was reduced a bit - about 3 minutes per side for searing, then 7-8 minutes total in the oven. For the sauce, I used just pear nectar, with a dash of cinnamon and a squeeze of lemon juice, then finished it with fresh grated ginger at the end. My red wine sauce took much longer to reduce at high heat - more like 30-40 minutes before attaining a nice syrupy consistency. I did not serve mine with rice, but with some warm, crusty bread - our friends used the white wine sauce for dipping the bread - it was so good! But nothing can compare to the two sauces used together - unbelievable! The sauces and coriander really make this dish!!! I am planning on making this for Thanksgiving, but with turkey breast medallions rather than pheasant for economy's sake!
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