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Grilled pheasant rests over polenta.

Grilled Pheasant with Creamy Polenta and Gremolata

Jack Hennessy
Looking for a fresh, light season-transitioning meal? Look no further and welcome spring with grilled pheasant and gremolata atop polenta.
4.50 from 2 votes
Prep Time 1 hour
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 2 people
Calories 3591 kcal

Ingredients
  

Polenta

  • 3 cups water boiling
  • 1 cup Bob's Red Mill yellow corn grits
  • 3 tbsp goat cheese
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Gremolata

  • 2 bunches flat-leaf Italian parsley leaves removed
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tbsp freshly minced garlic
  • 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
  • 1 lemon juiced and zested

Suggested vegetables and mushrooms

  • 1 lb asparagus and/or fiddleheads sautéed
  • 3 oz fresh morels or shiitake mushrooms sliced
  • 2 oz pea shoots or alfalfa sprouts quickly sauteed
  • 1 tbsp salted butter
  • Olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Pound pheasant breasts with a meat mallet to thin a bit, then lightly salt and pepper and leave out at room temperature for 1 hour prior to cooking.
  • Begin making polenta. Bring water to a boil, then add Bob’s Red Mill yellow corn grits and reduce heat to medium low. Stir for 5 minutes then turn heat to very low and cover. Do not stir in goat cheese until ready to serve.
  • Begin making the gremolata by removing the stalks from the parsley bunches and very finely chopping the leaves. Add to a medium mixing bowl, then add remaining ingredients and mix in thoroughly. Salt to taste. Set aside in fridge until ready to serve.
  • To sauté vegetables and mushrooms, heat a thin layer of olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces and sauté alongside fiddleheads until seared. Add sliced mushrooms and lightly salt and pepper, stirring until mushrooms soften. Add 1 tbsp of salted butter and stir in, then turn heat to low. Only add pea shoots or sprouts a few minutes before serving and cook briefly on medium heat while still maintaining their texture.
  • To cook pheasant breasts, heat a grill or skillet to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly coat pheasant with olive oil and grill each side for 2-3 minute until the internal temperature reaches 155. Pull and allow pheasant to rest 5 minutes before carving.
  • When ready to serve, stir in the goat cheese while polenta is still warm. Add a scoop of polenta to the plate followed by the sliced pheasant and sautéed vegetables and mushrooms. Drizzle gremolata overtop. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 3591kcalCarbohydrates: 91gProtein: 269gFat: 235gSaturated Fat: 65gPolyunsaturated Fat: 47gMonounsaturated Fat: 104gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 1012mgSodium: 2245mgPotassium: 3680mgFiber: 11gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 8899IUVitamin C: 163mgCalcium: 368mgIron: 23mg
Keyword Grilling, Pheasant
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