Summary:

Makes: Two large burgers 

Level: Moderate

Time: 15 minutes (including cooking time, plus 30 minutes chilling time before cooking)

Ingredients:

3 slices of white bread, crusts removed

2 pheasant breasts, about 120g (5oz) each

2 egg yolks

120ml (1/2 cup) double (heavy) cream

1/2 tsp salt 

1 tbsp oil

1 tbsp butter

Method:

1. Use a food processor to make the bread crumbs. Divide the breadcrumbs between two large plates or two sheets of baking parchment.

2. Mince the pheasant breasts.

3. Put the mince, salt and pepper in the food processor and blitz to thoroughly mix.

4. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, blitzing briefly after each addition.

5. Slowly add the cream with the motor running. You will end up with a loose mixture, quite different to an ordinary beef burger mixture.

6. Chill the mixture for 30-60 minutes as this makes it easier to shape.

7. Heat a frying pan and add a tablespoon of oil and a tablespoon of butter to the pan.

8. When the frying pan is nearly hot, divide the mixture into two portions and spoon on to one of the plates with breadcrumbs on. Use a knife to shape into two burgers, about 1¼ cm (½”) thick. Top the burgers with breadcrumbs from the other plate.

9. Fry the burgers for about 3 minutes per side until they are golden brown, but don’t overcook them.

10. Serve with potato puree and wilted ground elder or wilted spinach.

Tips:

– Make sure all the ingredients are really cold when you start mixing, otherwise the mixture is likely to separate.

– Pheasant breasts vary a lot in size. Allow approximately 1 egg yolk and 60 ml (¼ cup) of cream for every 125 g (4 oz) of meat.
– You can use other parts of pheasant as well as the breast, but take care to avoid the numerous tiny bones in the thighs.

This recipe was originally published on food writer John Duxbury’s Swedish Food website.