Warm salad of pan-fried pheasant breasts with watercress, potatoes and Sherry vinegar and walnut-oil dressing

It is not very common for pheasant to make its way from the main dish of a dinner to another meal, but here it is served as a salad.  It is quite a substantial salad and one that can be served as a supper dish or as a light lunch.

Preparation Time: 15 Mins

Cooking Time: 20 Mins

Total Time: 35 Mins

Ingredients

For 4 servings…

230 gms           Potatoes  - floury      

                     Salt          

10 gms            Butter       

3 tbs               Olive oil     

                     Pepper  - freshly ground, black  

2                    Pheasant breasts      

80 gms            Watercress

½                   Onion  - red - sliced thinly       

1 tbs               Chives  - chopped     

For the dressing

1                    Shallot  - chopped or fried       

½ clove           Garlic  - chopped finely          

2 tbs               Vinegar  - Sherry      

2 tbs               Walnut oil  

2 tbs               Olive oil     

                     Pepper  - freshly ground, black  

                     Salt          

Method

Peel the potatoes and cut them in half lengthways, and then each half across into 5 mm thick slices.  Put them into a pan of boiling salted water and cook for 3 minutes until just tender.  Drain them well.

Heat the butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan, add the potato slices and sauté them until golden brown.  Season with salt and pepper, remove from the pan and keep them warm.

Brush the pheasant breasts on both sides with the remaining olive oil and season with some salt and pepper.  Heat the frying pan over a high heat.  Add the pheasant breasts, skin-side down, sear briefly on both sides until they have taken on a good colour, then lower the heat a bit, cover and cook gently for 6 minutes on each side until just cooked through.  Lift them on to a plate, cover and leave to rest for 5 minutes.

To make the dressing…

Add the shallot and garlic to the pan and fry for just a few seconds, then add the vinegar and scrape all the caramelized juices from the base of the pan with a wooden spoon.  Tip the mixture into a small bowl and whisk in the walnut oil, olive oil, chives, 3 teaspoons of salt and some black pepper.

To assemble the salad…

Lift the pheasant breasts onto a board and carve each one diagonally across into thin slices.

Place a few sprigs of watercress and some slices of onion into the centre of 4 plates.  Add a few slices of the pheasant and a few sautéed potatoes.  Scatter over some more watercress and onion, drizzle on the dressing and sprinkle with some chopped chives.  Serve immediately.

Wine recommendations

A light red wine.

Conventional

     Beaujolais Villages

Interesting

     Menetou-Salon rouge

     Pinot Noir d'Alsace

Special

     Savigny-Lès-Beaune