Pheasant A L’Orange | SOUS-VIDE Magazine

Ingredients

Sake-Infused Asian Pear:

2 Asian pears, peeled
½ C sake
1 star anise
2 Tbsp ginger, sliced

Sauce:

½ C freshly squeezed orange juice
2 Tbsp soy sauce
¼ C rice vinegar
1 Tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine (may substitute Mirin or other cooking wine)
2 Tbsp ginger, peeled and chopped
¼ C sugar
1 Tbsp dried black tea leaves (Oolong recommended)
Salt, to taste

Pheasant:

2 whole pheasants
3 tsp kosher salt, divided
¼ tsp pepper, ground
3 Tbsp heavy cream
4 sprigs thyme, divided
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
1 Tbsp olive oil
Freshly cracked pepper, to garnish

Saffron Fennel Purée:

3 large fennel bulbs, diced
3 strands Afghan saffron
¾ C unsalted butter
¼ C heavy cream
Salt and pepper, to taste

Overview

Equipment

Sous vide circulator
Sous vide pouches
Vacuum sealer
Knife
Strainer
Food processor
Butcher string or twine
Large pot
Pan
Blender
Spoon

Timing

Prepping time: 1 hour / Cooking time: 10 minutes (excludes sous vide cooking)

Servings

Directions

For the Infused Pear:

Combine all ingredients in sous vide bag and seal until compressed.
Allow to infuse for at least three hours.
Before serving, remove pears and slice.

For the Sauce:

Set circulator to 174.2°F (79°C).Place all ingredients in a pouch and seal, then cook for two hours.
Open the pouch and strain the sauce.
Salt to taste.
Set aside.
Warm in a small pot before serving.

For the Pheasant:

Trim and remove the breast and legs from the pheasants, reserving any remaining meat, skin, and fat trimmings.
Debone the thighs and place aside, or store in the refrigerator until ready to prep.
Using a food processor, blend a 1/2 cup of pheasant trimmings with 1 teaspoon of salt, a pinch of pepper, and heavy cream to form a mousse, about two minutes. Set aside.
Set circulator to 165.2°F (74°C).
Stuff the pheasant legs with the mousse, splitting evenly amongst the four legs.
Wrap tightly or tie with butcher string, if needed, to keep the mousse from falling out during cooking.
Place legs in a sous vide pouch, add 1 tablespoon butter and 2 sprigs thyme, then seal. Cook legs in water bath for one hour.
Place pheasant breasts in a sous vide pouch, ensuring the skin is smooth and straight, then add 1 tablespoon butter, 2 sprigs thyme, 2 teaspoons salt, and pepper. Seal.
Bring a large pot of water to boil, then remove from heat. After a few minutes, submerge the pouch in the hot water for five minutes. Next, transfer the pouch to the water bath and cook for 30 minutes.
Once cooked, open the pouches and remove the breast and legs. Lightly pat dry.
In a pan over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon oil and sear skin-side down to crisp the skin, about three minutes.
Let rest a few minutes.

For the Saffron Fennel Purée:

Set circulator to 180.9°F (82.7°C).
Combine all ingredients in a sous vide pouch and seal. Cook for 45 minutes.
After cooking, open pouch and transfer the purée into a high powered blender.
Blend until smooth, about two minutes, and season to taste.

To Serve:

Spoon the warm fennel purée onto the plate, then place the pheasant breast and leg on top. Garnish with slices of sake infused Asian pear and finish with the sauce.