Pheasant Over a Pear Reduction

You’ll need two saute pans – one for the pear reduction, and the other to fry the pheasant/poultry cakes.

Peel and slice the shallots and set aside. Prep the pears.

In a food processor, finely mince the bacon and mix it into the ground pheasant. This recipe would also work with ground chicken, turkey and even pork or veal. To this mixture, add the dried parsley, thyme, nutmeg, cinnamon, a pinch of salt and ground black pepper. Shape the mixture into small patties – a couple ounces each.

Adding the 5 Tablespoons of olive oil and 2 Tablespoons butter to one of the warmed saute pans (over medium heat), begin to saute the sliced shallots until just wilted. Add the pears, continuing to saute until they begin to soften. Add the pear liqueur, and continue to cook for another minute or two, reduce the heat to low and add the half n half, white pepper, thyme and a pinch of salt. Stir gently to combine. Reduce heat to lowest setting and cover.

In a warm saute pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons each of olive oil and butter. When oil is hot, lay in the pheasant patties. Fry until golden brown on both sides – about 3 to 4 minutes per side. A squeeze of lemon will brighten the flavor.

On warmed plates, spoon a generous helping of the pear reduction, then gently lay the pheasant patties on top. I’ve ‘topped’ the pheasant patties with some Alehouse Confit from Edible R+D’s line of Culinary Preserves, and a couple of cornichon pickles.

Serve.