Laced with Sage, Onion & Thyme

Makes approx. 30 cakes   Active Prep Time 2 hours, Total Time 6½ hours

The nicest thing about these nutty wild rice cakes could be the delicious combination of risotto and herbs in the form of a crispy cake. But what I like most is that in addition to their wonderful flavor, they can be made ahead and warmed up right before serving. I think they are a perfect accompaniment to the Bacon-wrapped Pheasant recipe.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup wild rice
• 5 to 6 cups vegetable or low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh sage
• 3 yellow onions, finely chopped (3 cups)
• 3 large celery ribs, finely chopped (1 cup)
• 2 1/2 cups Arborio rice (1 pound)
• 1/2 cup dry Marsala wine
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup finely grated fresh Parmesan
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

• 3 large eggs, separated

• About 1/2 cup olive oil

Preparation:

Make wild-rice risotto:
Bring water to a boil in a heavy saucepan and season with salt. Simmer wild rice, covered, until tender, about 45 minutes. Remove from heat and allow rice to stand in cooking liquid, uncovered, 30 minutes. Drain rice and set aside, reserving cooking liquid from wild rice.  To this liquid, add stock and return to heat, and bring to a simmer.  Cover liquid and keep hot.

Heat butter and oil in a  8-quart heavy pot over moderately heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté sage, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in onions and sauté, until softened. Add celery, salt to taste and sauté, stirring, until onions begin to turn golden brown, about 6-7 minutes.

Stir in Arborio rice and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Add Marsala wine, thyme, and pepper to taste and cook, stirring constantly, until wine is absorbed. Stir in 1 cup hot broth and simmer, stirring frequently, until broth is absorbed. Continue adding broth, 1 cup at a time, and simmering, stirring frequently and letting each addition of liquid be absorbed before adding the next, until rice is tender but still al dente and creamy-looking and liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Stir in wild rice and remove from heat.

Finally, stir in Parmesan, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Cool risotto and chill, covered, for at least 4 hours, or over night.  Allow risotto to come to room temperature before proceeding with recipe.

Make risotto cakes:
Lightly beat yolks and stir into risotto. Beat whites and a pinch of salt with an electric mixer until they just hold stiff peaks. Stir half of whites into risotto to lighten and fold in remaining whites. Let batter rest at room temperature 15 minutes before proceeding.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Scoop 4 (rounded 1/4-cup) mounds of batter into skillet, flattening with back of a spoon to form cakes 3 inches across by 1/2 inch thick. Cook cakes until golden brown on underside (this is critical to prevent cakes from breaking when turning), adjusting heat if browning too quickly, 5 minutes. Carefully turn cakes over with a metal spatula and cook until golden brown on underside, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer as browned to a large shallow baking pan and arrange in one layer. Continue making more cakes in same fashion, wiping skillet clean with paper towels between batches and adding more oil as necessary. Rice cakes can prepared 1 day ahead up to this point. Allow to cool completely, store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Before reheating to serve, remove from refrigerator and place on baking sheets 20-30 minutes prior to baking. Preheat oven to 450°F. Bake cakes until sizzling, about 6-7 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serves 4, Main Course      Prep Time 20 minutes, Cook Time 10 minutes

Suggested Wine

Pheasant season starts in the beginning of October, weeks before we turn our clocks back.  These are perfect crisp evenings for a rustic, flavorful dinner around the fire.  These little morsels are delicious roasted in the oven, or easily done on the upper rack of your barbeque. Either way they are cooked literally in minutes.   For the Apricot Cranberry Glaze portion of this recipe, I recommend pan frying.  If you have access to a fine bottled glaze, feel free to use one of the other methods of cooking the pheasant.  Avoid overcooking these delicious bites and they will be moist and tender with an earthy herbal essence.

Ingredients:

• 4 pheasant breast, cut from the bone (from 2 pheasants)
• 4-5 slices, applewood-smoked bacon, cut in half
• 1 – 2 oz. Manchego cheese, cut into roughly ½ cubes
• 2oz. pkg fresh sage leaves
• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil or butter, for frying
• Salt and pepper

For Apricot Cranberry Glaze:

•  1/8-1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp. chopped dried cranberries
• 1 Tbsp. apricot preserves
• Water
• Salt and pepper

Preparation:

Cut each breast in half across the middle, lengthwise so that you have eight thin lengths of breast.  Lightly pound the breast meat between two sheets of wax paper, being careful not to create holes in the meat. 

Lay the breast meat out and season lightly with salt & fresh cracked pepper.  At the narrow end, if there is one, lay 1-2 sage leaves, 1-2 cubes of cheese and roll up breast like a jelly roll.  Hold firmly with one hand, preventing it from unrolling.  Carefully wrap the bacon around the rolled breast, pulling in slightly to help it “bind” the breast in place.  Ends of bacon should be tucked underneath breast.  Set on lightly greased baking sheet.

In a 12″ frying pan, add butter or olive oil and place over high heat so that it is sizzling hot.  Do not burn your butter.  Place wrap pheasant in pan and brown for 3-4 minutes.  Flip over, and finish cooking until bacon is cooked.  These pheasant pieces cook rapidly, and should not be over cooked.  If you have a meat thermometer, remove pheasant from pan when temperature registers 130°. 

Immediately toss the red pepper and minced garlic into the hot pan, stirring continually, about 1 minute.  Toss in cranberry pieces and sauté another minute.  Add about ¾ cup water to pan and gently scrap the crispy bits and meat juices.  Add apricot jam.  Continue stirring and simmering until sauce thickens.  Season with salt and pepper.  Pour over pheasant and serve.  Garnish with finely minced sage or parsley.