Smoked Pheasant with Grilled Onions and Peppers
Back to recipes
Vegetarian
Express
3 people
Preparation 15 min
Cooking 90 min
Ingredients
- 3 pheasant breasts or legs
- Cajun “blackened” seasoning, to taste
- 3 tbsp poultry seasoning
- 1 white onion
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 250 g (1 1/4 cups) rice pilaf
Nicknamed “ditch chicken” by American hunters, pheasant is perfectly suited to low and slow smoking. Generously seasoned with Cajun spices and a poultry rub, the pheasant pieces gently take on the aroma of hardwood smoke, alongside tender onions and peppers. A rustic, fragrant dish, ideal for a simple dinner or a post-hunt feast. Prep time: 15 min. Cook time: 1 hr 30 min.
Cooking
- Preheat the pellet grill (or smoker) to 135 °C (275 °F) with the lid closed for 15 minutes.
- Clean and rinse the pheasant pieces, pat them dry and place them in a large resealable bag.
- Add a generous amount of Cajun seasoning and poultry seasoning. Seal the bag, shake vigorously to coat the meat evenly and set aside.
- Thinly slice the onion. Quarter the bell pepper, removing the core and seeds.
- Lightly brush the vegetables with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.
- Place the vegetables on a sheet of aluminium foil on one side of the grate and smoke for at least 1 hour at 135 °C (275 °F). Pheasant is a lean meat that cooks quickly, so the vegetables need a head start.
- Then add the pheasant to the grate and continue cooking for 30 to 45 minutes at 135 °C (275 °F), until the internal temperature reaches 74 °C (165 °F).
- Meanwhile, prepare the rice pilaf.
- Remove the pheasant and vegetables from the grill and serve over a bed of rice pilaf.
Tip
Pheasant dries out quickly: use a meat probe and take it off the grill as soon as it reaches 74 °C (165 °F) internally. For even juicier meat, brine it overnight in the fridge in a light brine (50 g / 1.75 oz salt per 1 litre / 4 cups of water) before seasoning.
Products used in this recipe
