Simple Pheasant Piccata
This easy pheasant piccata recipe is a simple, savory dish that allows you to converse with guests while impressing their taste buds.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pheasant breasts
- 2 pheasant thighs
- Traeger Fin & Feather Rub or a mix of Italian spices, kosher salt, and black pepper
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups olive oil
- ¼ cup salted butter
- 1 shallot sliced
- 1 tbsp freshly minced garlic
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
- Juice from half a lemon
- zest from 1 lemon for extra lemony flavor (optional)
- ¼ cup corn starch
- 2 tbsp capers drained
- Salt to taste
- 16 oz spaghetti
- Freshly chopped Italian parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Using a meat mallet, lightly pound the pheasant breasts and thighs to flatten them.
- Spice the pheasant breasts and thighs and leave in the fridge, uncovered, for 1-2 hours.
- When you’re ready to cook, heat the olive oil and butter in a skillet to 375 F. Dredge the pheasant in flour, shake off excess, and fry it in the skillet. Do not crowd the pan; the skillet should only be half full to avoid steaming and softening the crust. Flip when the underside is golden brown. Remove when both sides are golden brown and set aside on a stainless steel grate or something similar so that the oil may drip off.
- Meanwhile, boil a pot of water. Cook the pasta until it’s al dente or approximately 6-8 minutes. Strain the pasta and lightly drizzle it with olive oil.
- When all pheasant pieces are golden brown and set aside, remove most of the oil and butter from the skillet, leaving only a thin layer to cook the shallot slices. Add shallot slices and cook on medium heat until slightly seared and soft. Add minced garlic and lightly salt and pepper. Stir for a few minutes, then deglaze with white wine.
- Add chicken stock, lemon juice, lemon zest (optional), turn the heat to medium-low, and allow it to simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in cornstarch to thicken the sauce, then add capers. You are welcome to add the pheasant back to the skillet for the sauce to warm up and allow it to soak up a bit of sauce for 5 minutes or so before serving.
- To serve, dish out pasta and top with fried pheasant and sauce. Garnish with freshly chopped Italian parsley.
Notes
If desired, simmer or sous vide the thighs in white wine and chicken stock for a couple of hours at 200 to tenderize them a bit.
Enjoy! Reach out to me on Instagram (@WildGameJack) with any questions or comments.
Nutrition
Calories: 1059kcalCarbohydrates: 123gProtein: 56gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 159mgSodium: 524mgPotassium: 1016mgFiber: 5gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 412IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 60mgIron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!