Kung Pao pheasant recipe

This recipe for Kung Pao pheasant from Wild and Game uses brining and marinating to make your pheasant superbly tender.

Kung Pao Pheasant

Serves two – three

Ingredients

• 4 pheasant breast fillets
• For brining the pheasant (optional but highly recommended)
• 3 rounded tbsp sugar
• 3 rounded tbsp salt
• 1 litre water

Marinade:

2 tbsp cornflour
4 tsp light soy sauce
2 tsp veg oil
2 tbsp rice wine

For the sauce:

• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp black vinegar or balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp rice wine
• 4 tbsp water or chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 tsp hoi sin sauce
• 1 tsp Sichuan pepper
• 2 tsp cornflour

Everything else:

• 6 spring onions, sliced
• 3 red and 2 green chillies, finely chopped (or use red dried chillies – more authentic)
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 100g peanuts
• A glug or two of vegetable or peanut oil for frying

Method

• If you want really tender pheasant, first brine the breasts by placing them in the water with the sugar and salt and placing in a container in the fridge overnight.
• Mix the marinade ingredients together and mix them with the pheasant in a dish. Leave for 10 minutes.
• Roast the Sichuan pepper in a dry frying pan for about a minute until fragrant but not burnt.
• Whizz in a spice grinder or grind with a pestle and mortar. Pass through a sieve and discard the big bits.
• Mix the pepper and all the sauce ingredients together and whisk thoroughly until all combined. Set aside.
• Remove the pheasant from the marinade.
• Heat the vegetable or peanut oil in a wok and add the pheasant. Stir fry until nearly cooked through – about 5-10 minutes depending on how small it is chopped.
• Add peppers, cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the spring onions, garlic and ginger and cook for a minute.
• Add the sauce and the peanuts.
• Cook for another couple of minutes until the sauce is glossy.
• Serve with rice.