Serves 4
4 pheasant breasts, skin lightly scored
1 cup chicken stock
2 cups wild rice (cooked)
4 tablespoons butter
4 cups spinach
2 ripe peaches, peeled and sliced into thick segments
1 cup veal demi-glacé
Five-spice powder
salt and pepper
Season the pheasant breasts with salt and pepper. Dredge the skin side of the breasts in five-spice powder. In a large frying pan, sear the pheasant breasts skin side down for five minutes in hot vegetable oil until the skin is crispy. Turn breast over and cook for an additional two minutes. Place breasts in a 350-degree oven for 6-8 minutes or until firm to the touch.
In a saucepot add chicken stock, salt and pepper, wild rice, and two tablespoons of butter. Cook on high heat until the chicken stock has nearly evaporated. Check for seasoning and add spinach. Stir the spinach and wild rice until the spinach is wilted. In a large sauté pan, add remainder of butter and heat until the butter begins to brown. Add the peach segments and season with a little salt. Sauté until the peaches color slightly, then remove pan from heat and add demi-glacé.
Reheat breasts in oven for several minutes while spooning wild rice and spinach in the center of four warm plates. With a slotted spoon, spread five peach segments around each pile of rice. Keep the reserved sauce warm. Slice pheasant breasts and lay over the rice. Drizzle the reserved sauce over the peach segments of each plate and serve.
