Pheasants cooked with apples and fresh herbs in a silky, creamy sauce. Deliciously comforting!
Each year we are given a delicious brace of pheasants and this recipe, which I have been making for over 30 years, is my go-to recipe for using them. It basically my adaptation of a classic French dish that traditionally uses calvados.
I like to serve this just with mashed potato and steamed green beans. It can also be made in a day in advance for reheating when you are ready.
I like to use both the breasts and the legs of the pheasant, but as the leg takes longer to cook I roast them off first (nowadays typically in the air-fryer) for about an hour.
I usually use crème fraîche for the lovely tang it brings, but you can use single or even double cream. I sometimes add some chopped button mushrooms, which work superbly here.
If you are not a fan of pheasant, this recipe also works really well with chicken: the breasts, thighs, drumsticks…….
Recipe: pheasant with apples in a cider & cream sauce – serves 4
Pheasant with apples in a cider & cream sauce
- 2 prepared pheasants (plucked and “oven-ready”)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, peeled and sliced fairly thinly
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- a couple rashers of bacon, trimmed of excess fat and chopped small
- leaves from 4-5 large sprigs of thyme
- 4 large sage leaves, finely chopped
- 2 medium apples, peeled, cored and cut into smallish wedges
- 300ml medium cider
- 100ml crème fraîche
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon redcurrant jelly
- salt and pepper to season
You will need a large casserole dish or frying pan and a baking tray.
The oven should be preheated to 150°C.
(1) Remove the legs and the breasts of the pheasants. You can leave the skin on or remove them.
(2) Put the legs onto the baking tray and add a little vegetable oil and seasoning. Give them a good stir in the oil and seasoning and roast for an hour.
(3) Put the remaining oil into the pan and place over a medium-high heat for a few minutes. Add the pheasant breasts and leave them for about 2 minutes before turning over: you want a lovely dark-golden tinge on them. Transfer to a plate.
(4) Keeping any juices or crusty bits from frying the pheasant in there (for flavour!), add the bacon, garlic, onions, sage and thyme to the pan. Continue to cook over a medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time or until the onions become soft and turn golden-brown and the bacon is crispy.
(5) Add the apples continue to cook for another couple of minutes, stirring from time to time.
(6) Add the cider and let it simmer until it has reduced to about half its volume.
(7) Stir in the crème fraîche, mustard and the redcurrant jelly and bring it back to a gentle simmer. Season with salt and pepper and add the pheasant breasts and the legs, coating them in the sauce.
(8) Turn the heat to low, put the lid on and simmer for about 10 minutes.
(9) Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning if needed: you can even add a little more mustard if you want more punch. Scatter over the parsley and serve.
Pheasant with apples in a cider & cream sauce
