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In this episode of New England Chefs, sponsored by DCS by Fisher & Paykel, David Smith from The Old Tavern prepares seared breast of pheasant.

Click here for Chef David Smith's Profile

Pesto-Seared Breast of Pheasant Stuffed with Caramelized Apples and Grafton Sage Cheddar

Topped with roasted tomato-truffle emulsion and served with buttermilk mashed potatoes

Ingredients

Two boneless pheasant breast
1 large Honeycrisp apple, cored and diced into ¼ inch pieces
2 oz Vermont apple cider
2 oz Grafton Village Sage Cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
1 shallot
1 t roasted garlic, chopped
1 roasted tomato, finely diced
1/2 oz. white truffle oil
3 oz olive oil
4 T butter
2 oz. brandy
1 cup chicken stock
2 small Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 T crème fraiche

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Pheasant

Sauté diced apple in a thick sauté pan of 1 T butter until lightly brown (caramelized). Add 2 oz apple cider and continue cooking for 5 minutes until apples soften. Remove apples from pan.

Cut a 3" pocket in the middle of each pheasant breast. Take 1 oz sliced cheddar and tuck it into the "pocket" along with apple filling. Close the pocket with three toothpicks lying horizontal with the pheasant breast.

Season each breast with 1 T of pesto and salt and pepper on both sides.

Heat 1 T butter and 1 T olive oil in the sauté pan. Once melted and hot, sear the pheasant breasts on each side until nicely brown, taking care with the "pocket" side of the breast. After browned and seared, keep juices in the pan and remove pheasant. Place pheasant in a baking dish and bake for approximately 20-25 minutes.

Emulsion

Deglaze the sauté pan using 2 oz brandy, stirring up any bits, and then add 1 cup chicken stock. Lower temperature to reduce the stock in half. Add 1 teaspoon chopped shallot, 1 teaspoon roasted garlic, 1 small roasted tomato, 1/2 oz. white truffle oil. Let simmer for another 10 minutes on medium-low heat. Take the sauce and blend in a food processor, adding 2 T of olive oil to finish the emulsion.

Remove cooked pheasant from oven and top with the emulsion. Serve with buttermilk mashed potatoes.

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

Boil potatoes in salted water for 20 minutes or until soft. Drain water once cooked.

Place back in cooking pot and add 2 T unsalted butter, 1/2 crushed shallot, 1/4 cup buttermilk and 1 T crème fraiche and beat until you reach a smooth consistency.

Yield 2 servings