BBQ Pheasant Pizza

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Pizza
Click to view this article in the Fall 2016 issue of ADVENTURESS magazine.

By Jenny Nguyenfoodforhunters.com

Here is a new twist on BBQ Chicken Pizza — BBQ Pheasant Pizza! The pheasant came from Nebraska, a gift to us from family, so we wanted to do something different with it – pizza and wild game came to mind.

I referred to The Pioneer Woman’s cookbook on how to make basic pizza dough, but you may use whatever recipe you like or buy ready-made crust. In addition to juicy, grilled pheasant breasts, we baked the pizza with lots of gooey fresh mozzarella cheese, sautéed red onion, smoky barbeque sauce, scallions for a touch of color and fragrant fresh cilantro. We hope you will enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

Ingredients:

– pizza crust (homemade dough, dough mix or ready-to-bake crust)

– breasts of 1 pheasant

– salt, enough for light sprinklings

– 1/2 cup barbeque sauce, divided

– 1/4 cup pasta/pizza sauce

– 10 ounces of fresh mozzarella cheese

– 4 to 5 green onions, white and light green parts chopped

– 1 tablespoon of olive oil

– quarter of a red onion, thinly sliced

– 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped

– red pepper flakes, to taste

Directions:

– If using homemade pizza dough or a dough mix for crust, prepare ahead of time and follow directions. (Click to view this recipe at foodforhunters.com for the pizza dough used and more photos!)

– Run pheasant breasts under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Use a very sharp filet knife to remove the breasts from the bone.

– Place pheasant breasts into a small container. Lightly sprinkle salt on all sides. Then squirt some BBQ sauce to coat all over.

– Prepare the grill.

– To make the pizza sauce, combine 1/4 cup of BBQ sauce and 1/4 cup of pizza/pasta sauce.

– Slice fresh mozzarella thinly. Set aside.

– Chop white and light green parts of green onion.

– Heat olive oil in a pan. Sauté sliced red onion, stirring often for about 5-7 minutes, or until soft and translucent.

– Once grill is ready, cook pheasant breasts for about 5 minutes on each side, or until just cooked through. DO NOT OVERCOOK! Baste with the rest of the BBQ sauce.

– Preheat oven to 500 degrees F., or as directed by your dough or crust instructions.

– Lay crust out on a cookie sheet.

– Lightly sprinkle some salt over flattened dough. Then spread BBQ/pizza sauce mixture over it, saving some to use as a topping as well.

– Then top pizza with sliced mozzarella cheese, pheasant, the sautéed red onion and chopped green onion. Drizzle leftover BBQ/pizza sauce mixture over the top of pizza.

– Then bake in an oven on the lowest rack for about 12-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and crust turns golden brown.

– Garnish with chopped cilantro and red pepper flakes. Enjoy!