You can make as many or as few of these as you want, they are incredibly quick and easy to make, and great as a snack, starter, or a big bowl full at a party. Allowing 1 breast per person gives a generous portion.
The secret….shhhh……to a really fantastic Pheasant Goujon is using wholemeal breadcrumbs! It’s all in the detail; pheasant requires the more robust wholemeal bread, whereas if you were making Partridge Goujons you should opt for white bread with a lemon mayo. The lime mayo makes it a fresh and sharp experience, which cuts through and ‘lifts’ the pheasant. It really is just ‘tarted up’ bought mayonnaise, but you’ll want it again and again!
Ingredients
2 Pheasant breasts (if serving two people)
Plain flour
Sea salt
2 Eggs
2 slices of wholemeal bread
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
Zest of 1 lime
For the Lime Mayonnaise:
In a bowl, beat ½ a tablespoon of white wine vinegar into 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise. Then mix in the finely grated lime zest, reserving a sprinkling for decoration at the end, and add a generous pinch of sea salt. Taste, and add a little more of the vinegar if required, it does depend on the ‘tartness’ of the mayonnaise you start off with, but as a rule, I work on a 1:2 ratio of vinegar to mayo, just up the quantity if you are making more goujons.
Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate it until needed.
For the Pheasant Goujons:
Slice each pheasant breast into strips no more than 1.5cm wide. To make the breadcrumbs, break up the slices of bread, crusts and all, and place in a food processor, pulse until fine. Take three separate bowls and put 2 tablespoons of plain flour seasoned with sea salt in the first, 2 lightly beaten eggs in the next, and in the third the breadcrumbs.
I have absolutely no health issues with deep fat fryers, we work hard enough to burn the calories off and they give the best results for dishes like this. If you do not however own such an appliance, simply half fill a heavy-bottomed, high-sided pan with sunflower oil or vegetable oil and heat it to 170oC. To test the temperature; a crumb of bread dropped into the hot oil should sizzle immediately.
Take each strip of pheasant and individually roll in the flour, then dip in the egg, and finally coat in the breadcrumbs (making sure to shake off excesses after each layer). Pop them in small batches into the hot oil. Be careful not to over-crowd the fryer, not only will this stop the Goujons from cooking properly, they will stick to each other. Fry for 3 minutes until golden brown (just gauge your size and adjust the time if needed), then remove with the basket or a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
If you are making these in several batches, keep them warm in a bowl in the oven.
To Serve:
Transfer the lime mayonnaise into your chosen serving bowl and sprinkle the reserved lime zest on top. Place the Pheasant Goujons in a separate bowl. Then get stuck in and enjoy!
Recipe written by Esther Veerman, The Country Cook