Recipes

Pheasant Kiev with broad beans, peas, tarragon and cobnut salad

James Martin shows you how to make your own butter to infuse with garlic and stuff into the ultimate Kiev.

For this recipe you will need a free-standing mixer to make the butter.

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Ingredients

For the pheasant Kiev

For the dressing

For the salad

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 170C/150C Fan/Gas 3½.

  2. Wrap the garlic bulb in aluminium foil and place on a baking tray. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the cloves are soft and the garlic can be squeezed out. Set aside until the garlic is cool enough to handle. Slice the top off the garlic, then squeeze all of the garlic in a bowl. Chop if necessary, or mash with a fork until smooth.

  3. Pour the double cream in the bowl of a free-standing food mixer and churn for 3-5 minutes using the beater attachment, or until lumps of butter have risen to the surface of the cream and the remaining mixture is liquid. Line a fine sieve with muslin cloth and suspend it over a large bowl. Strain the churned cream through the sieve, wrapping the muslin tightly around the lumps of butter and squeezing out as much liquid as possible. Discard the strained liquid.

  4. Mix the butter with the mashed garlic until well combined. Season with a generous pinch of salt, then stir in the chives until well combined.

  5. Using a sharp knife, cut a wide, deep pocket in the thickest part of each pheasant breast, just under the inner fillet, without breaking through the other side of the pheasant breast. Fill each pocket with the garlic butter and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

  6. Increase the oven temperature to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.

  7. Sprinkle the flour on a plate and the breadcrumbs on a separate plate. Beat the eggs in a bowl. Dust each pheasant breast in the flour, then dip in the beaten egg, then roll it in the breadcrumbs until completely coated. Return to the fridge to chill for a further 10 minutes.

  8. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium to high heat until a breadcrumb sizzles and turns golden-brown when dropped into it. (CAUTION: Hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Fry the pheasant Kievs, in batches if necessary, for 1-2 minutes on each side, or until golden-brown all over. Transfer to the oven and cook for a further 6-8 minutes, or until the pheasant has completely cooked through.

  9. For the dressing, blend all of the ingredients in a food processor until smooth and well combined. Set aside.

  10. For the salad, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and blanch the broad beans and peas for 1-2 minutes, or until just tender. Then refresh in ice cold water. Drain well.

  11. Mix the beans and peas with the remaining salad ingredients in a large serving bowl. Drizzle with the dressing and mix again.

  12. To serve, place one pheasant Kiev in the centre of each plate and pile the salad alongside.

Recipe Tips

The pheasant is cooked through when the juices run clear when pierced in the thickest part of the meat with a skewer and no trace of pink remains - take care not to pierce through to the melted butter!