As a family of devout (if not always prolific) upland game hunters, a day in the field with our dogs in pursuit of pheasant is the stuff memories are made of. And the game meals that follow are equally cherished–often outside with cocktails, next to a roaring fire. Pheasant poppers (or “bombs” as we affectionately call them) are a favorite of family and friends alike. And if you aren’t lucky enough to have pheasant on hand, you can simply substitute any fowl (we often use chukar, but chicken would work perfectly). Similarly, if you’re not a fan of spicy foods, no problem–just omit the jalapeño pepper slice. The roaring fire and cocktails with friends part however, are a must!
We like to serve these as hors d’oeuvres and therefore prepare them to be bite-sized. If you’d prefer these to be appetizers, you could stuff and wrap a half a jalapeño. We grill ours when the weather cooperates, but in the winter tend to broil them in the oven. Either way is wonderful. Keeping them hot while serving is a bit of a trick although they usually disappear so fast, it’s not a worry. But we’ll show you below how we keep these little nuggets warm, especially on a chilly fall night on the patio.
Pheasant Poppers (yields 36)
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. pheasant breast (or fowl of your choice)
1/4 c. teriyaki sauce (Soy Vey’s Very Very Teriyaki is our absolute favorite)
9 smaller jalapeños, quartered–seeds removed (if you don’t like the heat? Try substituting pitted Medjool dates, quartered)
12 slices bacon, cut into thirds
4 oz. cream cheese
toothpicks (soaked in water)
Grill basket optional (sprayed with oil) or sheet pan (lined with foil and sprayed with oil) if broiling
Directions:
- Cut pheasant into 36 bite-sized pieces. Marinate in bowl (or zip-lock bag) with teriyaki for 30 min. at room temperature. While pheasant is marinating, soak toothpicks in the bowl of water.
- Preheat grill to medium.
- Drain marinade and discard. Wrap each bacon strip around one piece of pheasant, a slice of jalapeño, and a dollop of cream cheese. Secure with a toothpick.
- Grill over medium heat, turning frequently until bacon is crisp. If you prefer to grill these in a lightly oiled grill basket, do so in batches so that the bacon properly crisps.
- Serve hot on a fabulous serving plate (see our recommendation below).
Serving Suggestions:
Sur la Table sells a fabulous Staub serving platter that helps you keep these little pheasant bites warmer during cocktail hour. The cast-iron plate can be warmed while the pheasant is cooking on the grill. While you “could” theoretically place the poppers on the cast-iron insert and grill them directly on that? You’d have to drain the grease prior to serving, so I don’t personally recommend this approach. Just get the insert nice and hot on the stovetop or in the oven while grilling so that it’s toasty when you pull the poppers off the grill. The wood base acts as a trivet to protect your table. So you can set it and forget it!
Bourbon with bacon simply goes without saying. For cocktails, we are in love with Clayton & Crume’s leather-wrapped rocks glasses and were thrilled to find they have a store just down the block from our son’s college in Charleston, South Carolina. Not only are they ridiculously handsome on your bar, but these beauties keep your drink cold and your hands warm on a chilly fall evening on the patio.
These fabulous cloth cocktail napkins by Burton Basic Co. honor our beloved hunting partners and friends. The fact that they’re both washable and reusable is a plus too. And this great little business based out of Georgia has a number of additional hunting-themed styles available on their Etsy shop if you’d like to mix and match. We think they’d make great little gifts as well (hint, hint!)
