Celebrate this Valentine’s Day Brays Island style with this stuffed pheasant dinner for two paired with the perfect prosecco.

Valentine’s Day is always a favorite holiday at Brays Island, and typically owners have the option to dine at the Plantation Grill with a featured menu, or make a reservation at the Brays Island Inn for a more intimate setting and plated dinner. While we are not able to celebrate this year in the same style, we asked our onsite Executive Chef Ron Andrews to share his recommendation for your own Valentine’s dining experience at home – Brays style. 

Chef Ron Andrews refreshes our dining menus on a monthly basis and with the upcoming Valentine’s Day holiday, has created a unique dish that’s perfect for the occasion. A pheasant breast stuffed with local lion’s mane mushrooms and apples with Brays Island rutabaga silk. Our onsite Sommelier, Alex Young, pairs the recipe with the perfect recommendation to complement the dish.

Lion’s Mane is a mushroom that grows wild on Brays Island and throughout the Lowcountry. It is creamy white in color and gets its name from the resemblance to a lion’s mane or pom pom. It has a mild earthiness on the palate, along with a slight lobster flavor. Chef Ron is certified to forage for mushrooms and these are found right here at Brays Island. The rutabaga and fresh herbs, along with some the vegetables used on the plate come directly from our onsite Garden.

Our Sommelier Alex recommends pairing the stuffed pheasant breast with a prosecco from the Wilson Daniels portfolio to complement the light, but flavorful pheasant. Jeio’s D.O.C. Prosecco is a favorite here at Brays Island, and with its low alcohol content and bright, citrus flavors, it pairs perfectly with the pan-seared pheasant. If you want to go all out for your Valentine however, he suggests a 2009 Pol Roger Brut Champagne. This pairing will accent the mushroom stuffing Chef Ron picked to accompany the pheasant. The lion’s mane mushrooms, nuts and apples all go hand in hand with this full-bodied champagne and will stand up to a dessert of your Valentine’s choosing. 

Mushroom Stuffing

• 4 oz Lion’s Mane Mushrooms or Oyster Mushrooms
• 1/2C Granny Smith Apples, peeled and cored
• 2t Minced Shallots
• 1T Olive Oil
• 1/4C Dry White Wine
• 1/2t Fresh Thyme, chopped
• 1/2t Fresh Sage, chopped
• 2T Toasted Pine Nuts or Almonds
• 2 Slices White Bread, crust removed
• 1 1/2-2 oz Whole Butter
• 2T Fresh Parsley, chopped
• Salt and Pepper to Taste

Dice the mushrooms and apple. Cube bread and keep off to the side until ready to use. Sauté mushrooms and apples in olive oil with the shallots until tender. Deglaze the mushroom mixture with wine. Add thyme, sage, nuts and cubed bread. Cook until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and add whole butter. Stir stuffing continuously until butter is completely incorporated. Add parsley, salt and pepper. Cool to room temperature.

Pheasant

• 2 10 oz Boneless Pheasant Breast
• 2-3T Olive Oil
• 2 oz Whole Butter
• Mushroom Stuffing
• Salt and Pepper to Taste

Starting from the fat end of the pheasant and using a sharp paring knife, cut a deep pocket into each pheasant breast. Stuff each breast with a generous amount of stuffing, season with salt and pepper and leave at room temperature for 20-30 minutes. In a hot fry pan, add olive oil. Place pheasant skin side down in a pan and sear to a golden brown. Turn pheasant over, reduce heat to a simmer and place a healthy slice of butter on top of each breast. As the butter melts, baste each breast with the melted butter continuously until pheasant is cooked through. The entire process should take about 12-15 minutes. 

Rutabaga Silk

• 1/4C Chopped Onion
• 1t Minced Garlic
• 1T Clarified Butter or Olive Oil 
• 1C Rutabaga, diced
• 1/2C Heavy Cream
• 1/2t Fresh Rosemary, chopped
• 1 ½-2 oz Whole Butter
• Zest and juice from a half a lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté onions and garlic in clarified butter until translucent and fragrant. Add rutabaga, cream, rosemary, lemon zest and juice. Cream should just cover the rutabaga. Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce heat to a low boil or simmer. Cook until you can mash the rutabaga with a fork. Season with salt and pepper and place all ingredients in a mixer. Puree until smooth. Add whole butter and continue pureeing until butter is completely incorporated. 

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