Pheasant with blood sausage

“Blood sausage, also known as black pudding, is a blend of onions, pork fat, oatmeal, flavourings - and blood, usually from a pig. In the United Kingdom, blood sausage is seen as a delicacy, and when married with pheasant, it makes a perfect combination.” Luke Nguyen, Luke Nguyen's United Kingdom

• serves

  2

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 200 g piece black pudding, cut into thick slices
• 2 pheasant breasts, skin removed
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 large handfuls kale
• 1 green apple, julienned
• 2 cm piece ginger, peeled and julienned

Dijon sauce

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1½ banana shallots, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 100 ml dry white wine
• 1 tbsp cider or white wine vinegar
• 250 ml (1 cup) chicken stock
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard, or more to taste
• 1 tbsp double cream

Instructions

Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat, add the oil and cook the black pudding on each side for 2 minutes or until crisp. Remove from the pan, then add the pheasant breasts and cook on each side for 2-3 minutes, leaving them quite pink. Remove from the pan and set aside. 

Add the butter to the same pan and when it begins to foam add the kale and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes or until wilted. Remove from the pan and set aside. 

To make the Dijon sauce, melt the butter in the same pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and stir for 2-3 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and fry for another minute, then add the wine. Increase the heat to high and boil the sauce furiously until the wine has almost evaporated. Add the vinegar and simmer until almost all the liquid has evaporated, then add the stock and simmer until reduced to about one third of its original volume. Stir in the mustard and cream, reduce the heat to medium, then simmer for a few minutes or until the sauce is just thickened. Return the breasts to the pan and cook for another minute or until warmed through.

Divide the kale among the serving plates and top with the pheasant breasts. Spoon the Dijon sauce over the top then using your hands, crumble the crisp blood sausage over the top. Garnish with the apple and ginger and serve immediately.

Luke Nguyen's United Kingdom starts Thursday 14 May 2015 at 8pm on SBS ONE and finishes 2 July 2015. Visit the Luke Nguyen's United Kingdom website to catch-up on episodes online, scroll through recipes or find out more about the show.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.