Popeye’s makes the best fried chicken sandwich, and no, they didn’t pay me to write this. It’s simple: a crispy, spicy fried chicken breast, mayonnaise, and pickles between a tender, buttered brioche bun. Every element is perfect. This sandwich needs no frills.
Although this recipe won’t taste exactly the same when made with pheasant—duh—I don’t think you’ll hear any complaints around the table. The overnight buttermilk brine does a nice job of injecting flavor and helping to tenderize the game bird, and the savory, crispy coating and tart dill pickles keep things interesting.
Why buttermilk? A must-have ingredient in many southern fried chicken recipes, buttermilk works its magic in a couple of areas. One, the acidity of buttermilk helps to tenderize meat, and two, buttermilk plus salt works just as well as water and salt to increase flavor and juiciness. When it comes to white-meat birds, buttermilk simply tastes better than a regular saltwater brine.
With that said, I still encourage hunters to age their pheasants . After a week of hanging, the breast meat will become noticeably more tender and flavorful, which then becomes a better canvas for recipes and meals. To learn how to age game birds, search for a story I wrote on gundogmag.com titled Why You Should Age Your Game Birds (And How to Do It the Right Way).
Keeping with the Popeye’s theme, serve these sandwiches with seasoned French fries and hot sauce. If you can find it at your grocery store, I think Checkers/Rally’s Frozen Famous Seasoned Fries are the best. Of course, don’t forget the sweet iced tea to balance out the heat.
Spicy Fried Pheasant Sandwich
Serves: 4 Prep time: Overnight Cook time: 30 Minutes
Ingredients:
4 pheasant breasts Canola oil for deep frying 4 brioche hamburger buns 1-2 Tablespoons softened butter Mayonnaise Dill pickle slices Buttermilk Brine:
1 cup buttermilk 1 teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce, or similar 1 Tablespoon Lawry’s Seasoned Salt 1⁄4 teaspoon fine sea salt Breading:
3⁄4 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1⁄4 teaspoon ground white pepper 1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more 1⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder 1⁄4 teaspoon onion powder 1⁄4 teaspoon paprika 1⁄2 teaspoon Lawry’s Seasoned Salt 1 tablespoon buttermilk 1 large egg + 1⁄2 cup buttermilk Directions:
The night before, lightly pound pheasant breasts with a meat mallet to get uniform thickness. In a bowl or zip-top bag, combine buttermilk brine ingredients. Completely submerge pheasant breasts in the brine and refrigerate covered overnight.A buttermilk brine makes tender, flavorful, and juicy meat. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley) After brining, remove pheasant from the buttermilk mixture, allowing excess to drip off. Set aside on a plate. In a wide, shallow bowl, combine flour, baking powder, white pepper, black pepper, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and Lawry’s Seasoned Salt. Then stir in 1 tbs. of buttermilk to form small lumps. In a second bowl, beat 1 egg with 1⁄2 cup of buttermilk.Small lumps of buttermilk and breading will create crispy bits when fried. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley) Heat oil to 350° Fahrenheit for deep frying. Meanwhile, lightly coat the pheasant breasts in the flour mixture first, then in the egg mixture, and again in the flour mixture, encouraging the lumps in the flour to stick, which will turn into crispy craggy bits when fried. When the oil comes to temperature, fry coated pheasant (in batches to avoid crowding the pan) until golden on both sides, flipping halfway through. Internal temperature should read at least 155 degrees Fahrenheit. Drain fried breasts on paper towels or frying rack. Spread butter on the inside of brioche buns and toast on a hot skillet until golden. Assemble sandwiches with fried pheasant, pickles, and mayonnaise. Stir hot sauce into the mayo if you like your sandwich spicier.
