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Pheasant meatballs with orzo

Pheasant meatballs with orzo 2016

Pheasant meatballs with orzo

Name: Pheasant meatballs with orzo
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 1 shallot roughly chopped; 1 garlic clove roughly chopped; 150g leftover pheasant meat picked from the carcass (including skin and fat); 100g fresh breadcrumbs; zest and juice 1 lemon; 1 tbsp natural yogurt; 1 large egg; 2 tbsp pistachio nuts, chopped; 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley; small grating nutmeg; 3 tbsp olive oil plus extra for greasing; 2 rosemary sprigs; 200g orzo; 80g baby spinach leaves; 4 tbsp crème fraîche; 20g finely grated parmesan plus extra to serve

Rosie Birkett

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Serves 2

Easy

Prep: 25 mins

Cook: 20 mins

A star rating of 3.2 out of 5.5 ratingsRate

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If you've got leftover pheasant to use, this dish makes the most of a modest amount and is a great weeknight supper

Freezable (meatballs only)

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Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

1 shallot

roughly chopped
1 garlic clove

roughly chopped
150g leftover pheasant

meat picked from the carcass (including skin and fat)
100g fresh breadcrumbs
zest and juice 1 lemon
1 tbsp natural yogurt
1 large egg
2 tbsp pistachio

nuts, chopped
2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
small grating nutmeg
3 tbsp olive oil

plus extra for greasing
2 rosemary

sprigs
200g orzo
80g baby spinach

leaves
4 tbsp crème fraîche
20g finely grated parmesan

plus extra to serve

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Nutrition: per serving

kcal980
fat68g
saturates27g
carbs57g
sugars7g
fibre8g
protein31g
salt0.9g

Method

step 1

To make the meatballs, put the shallot, garlic and pheasant into a blender and process until finely chopped. Add the breadcrumbs, lemon zest and juice, yogurt and egg and blitz once more, until the mixture is clumping together, then tip into a bowl. Add the pistachios and parsley, stir well and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Oil your hands and roll the mixture into golf ball-sized meatballs. Put in the fridge to chill.
step 2

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. In a heavy-bottomed, non-stick frying pan or skillet, heat the olive oil and rosemary, and stir to infuse the oil, then add the meatballs and fry for 4-5 mins, turning them carefully to brown all over. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon, retaining the rosemary oil, and transfer the meatballs to a roasting tin. Put them in the oven for 10 mins to heat through while you cook the pasta.
step 3

Cook the orzo following pack instructions, and drain when al dente, reserving some of the water. Remove the sprigs of rosemary from the olive oil in the frying pan and tip in the pasta along with the spinach, stirring to coat in the infused oil. Warm gently over a low heat then stir in the crème fraîche and Parmesan, plus a little pasta water (or stock, if you have it). Season and divide between plates, topping with the meatballs. Serve with extra Parmesan, if you like.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, October 2016

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A star rating of 3.2 out of 5.5 ratings

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