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A Nashville hot pheasant sandwich rests on a table.

Jacky H's Hot Pheasant Sandwich

Jack Hennessy
Break out some pheasant breasts and raid the spice rack for this play on Hattie B's Nashville hot chicken sandwich
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Brine time 1 day
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 2 people
Calories 8952 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 skin-on or skin-off pheasant breasts dry-brined for at least 24 hours

Dip

  • 1 C buttermilk
  • 1/4 C Frank’s RedHot Original sauce
  • 1 egg beaten

Dredge

Spice mix for final coating

  • 2 tbsp cayenne powder
  • 1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • 1/2 tbsp chipotle powder
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp ground mustard
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • NOTE: Spice mix will come out more than 1/4 C. Due to ratios, only use 1/4 C of the spice mix with 1 C lard, bacon grease, or duck fat.

Comeback sauce

  • 2/3 C mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

Other ingredients

  • 2 brioche buns toasted
  • Coleslaw for topping
  • Thick-cut bread-and-butter pickles

Instructions
 

  • Lightly dust all sides of pheasant breasts with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Cover and allow to rest in the fridge for at least 24 hours.
  • When ready to cook, pre-heat peanut oil to 350-375 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix flour dredge in one large stainless steel bowl or another large container, then dip mix in a separate container. Mix Comeback Sauce in a separate bowl and place in the fridge until ready to serve.
  • To fry pheasant breasts, first, dip them in the flour dredge, shake off excess, then add to dip. Shake off excess, then return to the flour, shake off excess, and finally add to oil. So as not to overcrowd the fryer or pot, you may need to fry one breast at a time to keep oil between 350 and 375. Fry for roughly 6 minutes, until the exterior is golden brown and the interior fully cooked. Don’t fry over 375, because oil hotter than 375 can potentially crisp up the crust before the interior is finished cooking.
  • While frying, in a separate pot, heat 1 cup lard (or bacon grease or duck fat or a mix) on very low with 1/4 cup of the spice mix. The goal here is to just melt the lard and thoroughly stir in the spice mix for dipping after drying.
  • Toast the buns and add Comeback Sauce to the bottom. Once the pheasant is done frying, make sure the lard and spice mix is adequately mixed (stir again if necessary). Add the pheasant breast to the final mix, fully coating it, then immediately add to the bottom bun. Top with coleslaw and a handful of pickles. Add the top bun and pin a pickle into the bun with a toothpick. Lightly coat pickle with spice mix (just the dry spice mix, without lard). Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 8952kcalCarbohydrates: 368gProtein: 555gFat: 572gSaturated Fat: 161gPolyunsaturated Fat: 158gMonounsaturated Fat: 197gTrans Fat: 3gCholesterol: 2544mgSodium: 8432mgPotassium: 6331mgFiber: 16gSugar: 54gVitamin A: 15130IUVitamin C: 63mgCalcium: 838mgIron: 41mg
Keyword Pheasant, sandwich
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