Warm Pheasant Salad with BeetrootPrint Recipe

I had a dinner planned tonight – or should I say a dessert. It had already taken the better part of the day (and the day before) to make and it was going to be quite spectacular, not to mention incredibly rich. So I thought a salad might be the best option for dinner.

I had been pottering around our local supermarket looking for inspiration when I spied a lonely little pheasant in the game section. I whisked him home and popped him in the oven for this salad. I had made it before so it didn’t take long to put together.

The raspberry vinegar gives everything a fresh and slightly tangy flavour, including the roasted pheasant which is quite succulent – roasting it with the pancetta on top enhances its flavour and texture. One thing I would say though, is to use a mild tasting olive oil in the dressing, I remember using a strongly flavoured extra virgin olive oil last time I made it and it overpowered the raspberry vinegar. Best to stick to a straight olive oil rather than the extra virgin.

It’s not Winter food I know but it is the perfect salad for a light and simple dinner. It went really well with the nice bottle of white we opened to celebrate nothing other than a Saturday evening in. And as for dessert, take a peak below…

2 pheasants or spatchcock (around 1 kilo/2 pounds each)
8 slices of pancetta (cut not too thin)
4 beetroots
3 cups of loosely packed watercress
2 cups of loosely packed mache
1/3 cup raspberry vinegar
1/4 cup mild olive oil

Preheat oven to 250c/482f. Clean and truss the pheasants and place 4 pieces of pancetta over each bird, covering the breasts and legs. Place in a roasting pan, season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce the oven to 180c/356f and place in the oven to roast for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until juices run clear when a skewer is inserted into the leg. Remove bacon from the pheasant and set aside, place pheasants back in the oven and roast for a further 10 minutes until golden brown. Cool slightly, then remove meat from the pheasant and coarsely shred, discarding skin and bones. Keep warm.

Meanwhile, cut the stems and leaves away from the beetroot, leaving about 1″ attached and wash to remove any surface soil (do not cut off the long tapering root).  Place each beetroot on a square of oiled foil, wrap and ensure all of the beetroot surface is covered. Bake from 30 minutes through to 1 1/2 hours depending on the size of your beetroot. Test with a skewer, it would slip through the beetroot without any resistance. Remove foil and leave to cool for 20 minutes. Rub skins off under running water and cut into small segments and arrange on a platter.

Combine watercress and mache in a bowl and break reserved bacon into peices. Heat vinegar in a saucepan over a medium heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until reduced by half, add oil and season to taste. Add dressing, pheasant meat and bacon to salad leaves, toss to combine and arrange on a platter. Serve immediately.

Notes: It might suit you to roast the beetroot prior to roasting the pheasant – it can be left at room temprature until the pheasant is done.

a sneak peak of tomorrow’s posting…

© 2011, Michelle. All rights reserved.