Pheasant Parmesan Summer Salad
A light, sweet, and savory dish with basil, tomato, homemade vinaigrette, and crispy pheasant breast
At a client happy hour at my office, among other hor d’oeuvres, were skewers of chicken, a cherry tomato, and a basil leaf, with a bit of syrupy-sweet vinaigrette drizzled overtop. It was quite the summer snack, complementing 100-plus temperature and the double pour of bourbon in my hand. It got me thinking that I could recreate these flavors in a full meal featuring pheasant meat.
When it’s hot outside—or when you’re pining for the summer months—something light, a bit sweet, and a little savory is the perfect dish. This very simple salad recipe turns skinless pheasant breasts into something tender and delicious. And yes, you can use any skinless upland bird breasts for this recipe.
This recipe calls for a blend of a high-heat cooking oil—in this case, avocado oil—and olive oil. Such a blend will add the flavor of the olive oil while raising the smoke point. You can easily get a crispy crust without having to worry about smoking up the kitchen or burning the oil, which will affect flavor.
Both using a meat mallet and thinly slicing the breasts will help you find bird shot, should there be any still in the meat. Run your hands over the flattened meat; you should feel any shot while doing so.
Feel free to adjust the the salad ingredients based on what you can find at your local grocer. I always recommend using fresh spices when possible.
Pheasant Parmesan Summer Salad
Ingredients
- 2 pheasant breasts skinless and tenderized
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper Freshly cracked
- Avocado oil and olive oil in a 50/50 blend
- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano finely minced
- 1 tsp fresh thyme finely minced
- ½ tso fresh sage finely minced
- 2 egg whites
- Baby arugula
- 4 oz mozzarella pearls
- 8 oz cherry tomatoes halved
- ¼ cup fresh basil cut chiffonade
Vinaigrette
- ½ cup molasses
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup Morello tart cherry preserves or similar
Instructions
- A couple of hours before cooking, use a meat mallet to tenderize and flatten the skinless pheasant breasts. Lightly dust them with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- To make the vinaigrette, add all the ingredients to a medium saucepan and heat them on low, stirring occasionally, until fully blended. Turn off the heat, and when able, place it in the fridge to cool.
- Mix the panko, grated parmesan, and fresh spices in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, add only the egg white from two eggs. Mix the whites with a fork to break them up.
- To cook pheasant, add a blend of avocado and olive oil to a large skillet and turn the burner to medium. Once the oil is at 400 F (use either a cooking thermometer or a surface thermometer to check), place the breasts in a mixing bowl with the panko, parmesan, and spices, then put them in the egg wash, then one more time through panko, parmesan, and spices. Add the breasts to the skillet and fry.
- Flip once the undersides are brown and crispy. Remove the breasts once both sides are brown and crispy, and set them on a grate so the oil can drip off. Pat the tops dry with a paper towel to absorb the leftover oil.
- Let the pheasant rest while you cut cherry tomatoes in half. To cut basil chiffonade, roll leaves lengthwise, like a cigar, and make perpendicular cuts in thin strips. Assemble both salads with arugula, add the tomato halves, and then the mozzarella pearls.
- When ready to serve, thinly slice the pheasant and add it to the salad. Drizzle over the vinaigrette or serve it on the side.
Nutrition