Notes
Let’s say you found a pheasant in the back of your freezer and it’s a year old or more. One of the best ways to help out a tired, old frozen bird is with a good marinade. Marinades will add flavor to meats that are long past fresh. Don’t use marinades to cover up foods that either look bad or smell bad. There’s a reason they got that way and they should be disposed of. I like to serve this with rice.
Ingredients
- 2 pheasants, quartered
- Marinade
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 lemons, juice only
- 1/2 cup onion, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
Pecan Pesto Vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup pecan pieces, roasted in a 325-degree oven until slightly browned
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1 lemon, juice only
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper
Directions
- Combine marinade ingredients. Place pheasant pieces in a ceramic, plastic or glass dish and pour marinade over. Cover and refrigerate, turning occasionally. Marinate for 6 – 12 hours. To cook, remove leg/thigh sections and place in a well-oiled baking dish. Pour marinade over. Cover with foil and bake in a 375-degree oven for 1 hour. Add breast pieces, cover and bake for 20 minutes more or until pheasant breast pieces are just cooked. To serve, arrange pheasant pieces on plates and drizzle vinaigrette over.
- In a food processor or blender, process pecan pieces, garlic, basil, lemon and a few tablespoons of the olive oil until it forms a paste. Add parmesan cheese and vinegar. Pulse to blend. While motor is running, add remaining oil in a thin stream until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.
Recipe courtesy of the Sporting Chef, Scott Leysath. Click to order The Sporting Chef’s Better Venison Cookbook