Roasted Chukar with Fennel Puree
Bring your next roasted chukar to the next level with this fennel puree recipe twist
Weeks ago, following a children’s concert, my wife and I enjoyed a great dinner at Mass St. Fish House & Raw Bar in Lawrence, Kansas. We treated ourselves to well-earned adult beverages and happy-hour oysters. We sat back and exhaled after a full day of travel with two little ones. Earlier that day, we experienced a two-hour-long bonanza of crowd-surfing beachballs and live versions of songs that had become tattooed on our brains after hearing them every morning for the past three months.
Mass Street is the University of Kansas’ main entertainment thoroughfare and is flanked on both sides by fantastic restaurants, with Mass St. Fish House & Raw Bar being my new favorite. My wife ordered the pan-seared salmon with an incredible fennel puree. I knew I had to replicate it upon returning home, and I did so here, pairing it with chukar. However, add any upland bird to this plate for a gourmet presentation and a delicious meal.
Despite the title and steps below, this recipe has eating instructions that are more complicated than the instructions to make the dish. When eating this dish, try to get all of the following on your fork: diced red onion and sliced cucumber (having soaked in seasoned rice vinegar), diced peaches, a bit of chukar meat, and the fennel puree. The entire flavor combination, when enjoyed simultaneously, is something quite special.
Roasted Chukar with Fennel Puree
Ingredients
- 2 whole plucked chukars
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- Ghee or clarified butter
Puree
- 1 lbs worth of fennel bulbs, chopped and sautéed
- ½ medium yellow onion chopped, sautéed and caramelized
- 2 tbsp freshly chopped garlic
- ¼ tsp ground white pepper
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup sake
Garnishes
- Thinly sliced fresh Brussels sprouts
- Thinly sliced almonds
Side Garnishes
- Seasoned rice vinegar
- Thinly sliced cucumber strips soaked for 2-3 hours in seasoned rice vinegar
- Finely diced red onions soaked for 2-3 hours in seasoned rice vinegar
- Finely diced peaches
- Parsley sprig for looks optional
Instructions
- Season your fully thawed chukar the night before you cook this dish. Ideally, you want to leave the birds uncovered in the fridge with ample ventilation on all sides so the skin can dry; dry skin makes for crispier skin when cooking.
- To make the fennel puree, heat a thin layer of ghee or clarified butter in a large skillet. Add the chopped onion and salt it lightly. Turn the heat to medium-high to sear the onion. Once seared, add the chopped fennel and lightly salt it again. Add more ghee or clarified butter if necessary. Sear the fennel chunks, then add garlic. Stir for a few minutes, then add the sake to deglaze the pan. Cover the skillet and turn the heat to medium-low. Stirring occasionally, cook it with the skillet lid on for approximately 20 minutes or until the fennel is tender.
- To prep side garnishes, finely dice the red onion and peach. You can also use fruit cups with finely diced peaches, preferably in pear juice, not syrup or gel. Cut the cucumber into very thin (toothpick-width) one-inch strips. Using a mandoline or other food slicer will make this easier. Add the red onions and cucumbers to a small bowl and cover them with seasoned rice vinegar. Allow them to soak for one to three hours.
- Add the skillet contents and ground white pepper to a food processor or blender and thoroughly puree it. Taste test the puree. If it’s bland, add a bit more salt and puree again. Place the puree in a small saucepan with a bit of sake at the bottom; stir the sake into the puree and cover, keeping the burner on low until you’re ready to serve.
- Truss your chukars ahead of cooking them by using kitchen twine to tie their legs close to their bodies for more even cooking. Rub a thin layer of clarified butter or ghee over all sides of the birds.
- To cook the chukars, use either an air fryer on its air fryer function or a broiler and sear both sides (breast-side and spine-side) until the skin is crispy, about five minutes on each side. Lower the oven or air fryer (now on its roast function) to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the chukars until the temperature reaches 300 F so they don’t overcook. Once at 300, roast the birds for 15 to 20 minutes or until fully cooked. Remove them and allow them to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
- To serve, cut off the kitchen twine from the chukars. Add an ample helping of fennel puree on each plate. Add a chukar per plate. Top with sliced almonds and Brussels sprouts. Add side garnishes to the side. Parsley is optional and not part of the pairing-and-eating process.
Notes
