Pheasant Cobb Salad with Green Goddess Dressing

You’ll be happier making your own Green Goddess dressing (versus buying in the store).

Ingredients

4 pheasant breast half fillets, skinned

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

Salt and pepper

4 hard boiled eggs, shelled and roughly chopped

1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes

1 1/2 cups Swiss cheese, cut into small cubes

8 strips crispy bacon, chopped

2 cups tomato, seeded and diced

1/2 cup red onion, diced

2 cups cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced

1 large head iceberg lettuce, chopped

1 head Romaine lettuce (outer leaves removed), chopped

Green Goddess Dressing

2 cups mayonnaise

4 anchovy fillets, minced

2 green onions, chopped

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar

1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon

Instructions

Rub pheasant breasts with olive oil, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper. Grill or cook in a lightly oiled pan until just cooked. Allow to cool and chop into 1/2-inch cubes. Combine iceberg and Romaine lettuces and arrange on 4 plates. Arrange remaining ingredients in mounds or rows on top of the lettuce. Serve with dressing on the side.

Note: Ingredients can be mixed together in a bowl or, for a greener color, blended in a blender or food processor

Serving Size: 4

Venison Fireballs 

These are like small, bite-sized meatballs, only hotter. The heat comes from the Sriracha, a Southeast Asian hot sauce often called “rooster sauce” because of the drawing of a rooster on the label of a popular brand. Look in the Asian section of your market for any product labeled Chili-Garlic, Sambal or Asian Hot Sauce. Start with a drop or two and keep adding hot sauce until you get to your preferred level of heat.

Ingredients

1 pound ground venison

1/4 pound ground pork

1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 green onions, minced

1 egg, beaten

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

Sriracha hot chili sauce to taste

Toothpicks

Instructions

In a bowl, combine all ingredients except Sriracha. Use your hands to mix ingredients thoroughly. Form some of the mixture into a ball, about 3/4 the size of a golf ball, and press together. The mixture should be a little moist while holding together with mild pressure. If it falls apart easily, add some breadcrumbs as a binder.

Form the mixture into balls, and place on a lightly greased baking pan. Place in a preheated 375-degree oven until evenly browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Place a small dollop of Sriracha on the top of each meatball and serve on a toothpick.

       Known as “The Sporting Chef,” Scott Leysath has been an executive chef for more than 20 years, and is a leading expert on cooking fish and game. Author of multiple cookbooks, including “The Sporting Chef’s Better Venison Cookbook,” he hosts “The Sporting Chef” and “Dead Meat” TV shows on Sportsman Channel. SportingChef.com.