Crispy fried pheasant with chilli

Ingredients

Pheasant breasts (2 each) cut into ½ cm strips

100g Japanese breadcrumbs (panko)

Flour for dusting

1 egg, beaten

150ml buttermilk or regular milk

1 lemon cut into wedges

1tbsp Kikkoman soy sauce

1 tbsp Mirin sweet rice wine

For the chilli garlic sauce:

5 red chillies, stalks removed, roughly chopped

10 shallots, peeled and cut into small dice

10 garlic, peeled

1 small piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

2 tbsp white vinegar

2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp tomato paste

Fresh black pepper

Pinch sea salt

Olive oil

Mayonnaise

Method

To make the chilli sauce:

1. Blend the chillies, ginger, garlic, vinegar, sugar and tomato paste in a liquidiser.

2. Take a non-stick frying pan and gently sweat the shallots in olive oil until soft.

3. Add the contents from the blender to the pan and gently cook on a low heat stirring continuously for 5-10 mins, then allow to cool.

4. When cool, mix with mayonnaise approx 1 part chilli to 8 parts mayonnaise (add more mayonnaise or more chilli to your preference) and season with salt and pepper.

For the pheasant:

1. Marinate the strips of pheasant in the Mirin and soy sauce for 20 minutes.

2. Drain off excess liquid and roll the pheasant strips in flour, dust off excess flour and place into the beaten egg and buttermilk mixture.

3. Roll a few of the pheasant strips at a time in the Japanese breadcrumbs until completely covered and there is no egg mixture showing.

4. Heat a frying pan of oil that is 1/2cm deep. When hot, cook the pheasant strips a few at a time for 2-3 minutes (until golden brown) and drain on kitchen paper.

5. Serve with the chilli garlic sauce on the side and some lemon wedges.