Orange Pheasant Skewers
Pheasant breast can be used in place of chicken in many recipes, and these skewers work equally well with both meats. Toss a few seasonal vegetables on the grill while the skewers cook and add steamed rice for a flavorful Asian-inspired dinner. This recipe has several separate components that can be made a day or two ahead and re-heated before use.
Serves: 4
Serving size: 3 - 4 skewers
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
6 whole, boneless pheasant breasts from 3 birds (or 12 chicken tenders)
12 -15 bamboo skewers
Salt and pepper
Orange Juice Reduction (below)
Orange Glaze (below)
Yogurt Sauce (below)
Chili Spiced Cashews (below)
Chopped fresh cilantro
Soak 12 (or more) bamboo skewers in cold water and set aside. Clean pheasant breasts to remove any feathers, shot, or bruised areas of meat and pat dry. Put two breasts at a time into a gallon plastic bag or between sheets of plastic wrap and pound to an even ¼” thickness. Remove and cut each into two to three 1 ½” wide strips. You should have 12 or more strips. Season both sides of strips lightly with salt and pepper then thread one piece of pheasant onto each skewer. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium and oil grates. Spray both sides of the skewers lightly with vegetable oil spray and grill 1-2 minutes on one side. Turn skewers over, brush the top generously with orange glaze, and cook another 1-2 minutes. Flip skewers again, brush the tops with glaze and cook another 1-2 minutes until meat is no longer pink inside. (Optional short-cut – leave pounded breasts whole, omit the skewers, and grill according to instructions.)
To serve, drizzle skewers with Yogurt Sauce and sprinkle with chopped Chili Spiced Cashews and chopped fresh cilantro.
Orange Juice Reduction
2 1/2 c. fresh-squeezed orange juice
Put orange juice into a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Continue to boil until reduced by half (to 1 ¼ c. total), about 20 minutes. Once juice is reduced, remove ¼ c. for the Yogurt Sauce and set the remaining cup aside for the Glaze. (Can be made ahead and refrigerated.)
Orange Glaze
1 c. orange juice reduction
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ c. honey
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
½ tsp. hot sauce (Tabasco)
2 tsp. rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. cornstarch mixed with 2 tsp. water
2 tsp. freshly grated orange zest
Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, add garlic and cook 20-30 seconds until garlic is aromatic. Add the 1 c. of orange juice reduction, Worcestershire, honey, pepper flakes, hot sauce, vinegar, and brown sugar, bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes. Dissolve the cornstarch in the water and whisk into the sauce, stirring and cooking 2-3 minutes until mixture boils and thickens slightly. Remove from heat and stir in the orange zest. (Can be made 1-2 days ahead and refrigerated; warm when ready to use.)
Chili Spiced Cashews
1 c. whole, unsalted cashews
1 ½ tsp. vegetable oil
½ tsp. Tabasco sauce (I prefer the Chipotle version)
¾ tsp. chili powder
⅛ tsp. fine sea salt
Preheat oven to 325°. In a medium bowl, toss all ingredients together until nuts are completely coated with oil and seasonings. Transfer to a small baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted and aromatic. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.
Yogurt Sauce
¼ c. plain Greek yogurt
¼ c. sour cream
3 Tbsp. orange juice reduction, cooled
⅛– ¼ tsp. grated fresh ginger
¼ tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. honey
1-2 dashes Tabasco sauce
Whisk all ingredients together until smooth and refrigerate. (Can be made 1-2 days ahead.)