Pheasant with Parsley Sauce


This dish is a little fancy, but it is worth the effort to make this sauce, which I developed after reading Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry Cookbook. Why pheasant? Because it is very delicate, and would get lost with a stronger sauce. You could also do this with rabbit, or even with fish. When you serve, don’t mess up the plate by putting other things on it: You have worked so hard to get a “wow” factor going with this sauce, so make your guests notice.

Serves 4

  • 2 whole pheasant breasts, or the loins from 4 cottontail rabbits (alternately, a medium-sized fish fillet will do as well.)
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Salt

GREEN SAUCE

  • 2 Large bunches parsley
  • 1/2 cup garlic chives or green tops to spring garlic
  • Salt
  • 1/2 cup of the appropriate stock (chicken, pheasant, fish, etc)
  • 2 Tablespoons dry white wine (really just a splash)
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  1. Make the sauce. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water (it should taste like the sea) to a rolling boil. Dunk the parsley and garlic chives in for 30 seconds. Remove and submerge in a bowl of ice water.
  2. Once they are cool, put the greens in a food processor and puree them. Add a splash of water if you need it to get the puree to set up. Scrape down the sides of the processor from time to time to get all the debris good and chopped up.
  3. Take the puree and dump it into a very fine sieve over a bowl. Let it drain for a few minutes. Remove half this liquid and reserve it in a little bowl or dish.
  4. Push the puree through the sieve with a plastic spatula. This will take some doing. Keep at it until the puree left in the sieve is dry looking. From time to time, scrape off the “good stuff” on the other side of the sieve and let it fall into your bowl. This whole process often takes up to 15 minutes of turning, scraping and pushing, turning, scraping and pushing.
  5. You now have your base for the sauce. This can all be done a day ahead. Keep the sauce base in the fridge tightly covered.
  6. Make the dish. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Heat a saucepan over high heat for 3 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium-high and add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter. Let it froth and melt, about 2 minutes.
  7. Sear the pheasant breast skin side down for 2 minutes, then turn the heat down to medium. Continue cooking for another 3-5 minutes, depending on how thick your pheasant breast is.
  8. Turn the pheasant over and immediately salt the skin liberally. Sear for 2 minutes, then pop the whole shebang in the oven for another 7-8 minutes. Less if the pheasant breast is thin.
  9. Take the pan out (watch your hands!) and put the pheasant breast skin side up on a cutting board to rest.
  10. Deglaze the pan with the splash of white wine, then add the stock. Boil this down by half over high heat.
  11. Turn the heat off. Add the parsley sauce base and swirl to combine. Add the remaining butter and swirl to combine.
  12. Pour some sauce in a pool on the plate and top with the pheasant breast, skin side up. Serve at once.

NOTE: You can also poach (in broth, butter or olive oil) a skinless pheasant breast, or a rabbit or fish if you use that instead of pheasant.

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