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An appetizer dish of watermelon, pheasant, and jalapeno on toothpicks served on a platter

Summer Watermelon and Grilled Pheasant with Ponzu Sauce

Jack Hennessy
A refreshing, summery starter that blends umami and watermelon sweetness with sliced pheasant 
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Prep Time 3 hours
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 505 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 2 pheasant breasts with tenderloins
  • Kosher salt
  • Black pepper freshly cracked
  • 8 watermelon slices 2" by 1" by ½" thick
  • White wine
  • 2 jalapeño peppers sliced
  • 2 avocados smashed

Ponzu sauce

  • 1 ½ cups white wine or sake
  • 1 lime juiced
  • 1 cup mirin
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 4 oz fresh ginger smashed
  • 2 slices orange zest dehydrated
  • 6 inches salmon skin or ½ cup bonito flakes
  • 2 sheets nori seaweed crumbled

Togarashi spice

Instructions
 

  • If possible, slice the watermelon and seal it with white wine in a chamber vacuum sealer. Let it sit in the fridge for at least a couple of hours.
  • If you don’t have access to bonito flakes (dried fish flakes), you can carve off 6 inches of skin from a salmon fillet and smoke the skin at 225 F for a couple of hours for the ponzu sauce. You may also wish to smoke the orange zest slices during this time (but only for 1 hour or less).
  • To make the ponzu sauce, add all the ingredients to a medium saucepan and bring it to a low simmer. Simmer on low or medium-low for 1 ½ hours. When done, strain it through a coffee filter or paper towel so only the liquids remain.
  • While the sauce simmers, add all the Togarashi spice ingredients to a blender or spice grinder and thoroughly blend until its finely ground. Set aside the Togarashi spice mix.
  • Thickly slice the pheasant breasts and keep the tenderloins as their own pieces. Lightly dust them with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
  • Once the sauce and spice mix are ready and the watermelon slices have marinated for at least 2 hours, grill the pheasant hot and fast, approximately 2 minutes per side, over a 600-degree or higher fire or grill grate.
  • Let the pheasant meat rest. While it rests, carve the avocados and smash their contents to the texture of guacamole. Thinly slice the jalapeños.
  • To serve, add the watermelon slices to a plate and drizzle the ponzu sauce over top. Next, add a bit of avocado to each slice, followed by a pheasant slice. Then, top with a slice of jalapeño. Secure everything with a toothpick and sprinkle Togarashi spice over the top.

Nutrition

Calories: 505kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 47gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 322mgPotassium: 1404mgFiber: 8gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 455IUVitamin C: 31mgCalcium: 44mgIron: 2mg
Keyword Pheasant
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