In my view, this is the best way to cook pheasant and achieve a consistently good result. The lovely smoky flavour of the bacon and its fat make this simple dish special. Just remember to rest the sauté breasts for as long as you cook them, and avoid overcooking!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 80 g smoked pancetta or streaky bacon, cut into 1cm cubes
- 1 medium onion, finely sliced
- 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 tsp garlic crushed
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch ground cloves
- 200 ml strong chicken or game stock (see page 214 of my Game book)
- 125 ml glass medium-dry white wine
- salt and ground white pepper
- 80 g vacuum-packed cooked peeled whole chestnuts
- 1 tbsp cornflour, mixed with a little cold water (optional)
- 8 slices of air-dried ham
- 4 young pheasant breasts, boned and any sinew from the fillet and inner breast removed
- 25 g unsalted butter
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan, add the pancetta or bacon and cook for about 10 minutes until slightly crisp
- Add the onion, carrot, bay leaves, thyme, garlic, cinnamon, cloves, tomato puree, stock, white wine and salt and white pepper to taste. Simmer gently for 20 minutes or until the mixture is reduced to about one-third of its original volume.
- Add the chestnuts and warm through, be careful, as they will break up if overcooked. Check the seasoning. The sauce should be a silky consistency, so if necessary, add the cornflour mixture and cook until thickened.
- Lay the air-dried ham on a chopping board in two lots of four slices, slightly overlapping.
- Season the pheasant breasts well with salt and pepper, then lay each inner fillet side up on a set of overlapping ham slices. For each breast, fold in the two opposite sides of the ham, then fold one end over the breast and turn the breast over, carefully wrapping the breast up nice and tightly.
- Turn the parcels over, ensure the seam is on the underside, and press the ham around the breasts. Chill well for 20 minutes.
- Heat the butter in a frying pan until it turns slightly brown. Add the parcels seam side up and gently sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Carefully turn the breasts over so that the seam‚is on the underside, leaving the presentation side looking lovely. Sauté again for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the pan, cover loosely with foil and leave to rest in a warm place for a good 10 minutes.
- Slice each parcel into four or five long slices ‚the meats should be pink and juicy. Serve with Savoy Cabbage & Onions (see page 218 of my Game book).
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Notes
Nutrition Facts
Sautéed Pheasant Breasts with Bacon & Chestnuts
Amount per Serving
Calories
5601
% Daily Value*
Fat
295
g
454
%
Saturated Fat
88
g
550
%
Trans Fat
1
g
Cholesterol
2024
mg
675
%
Sodium
2629
mg
114
%
Potassium
7255
mg
207
%
Carbohydrates
37
g
12
%
Fiber
2
g
8
%
Sugar
6
g
7
%
Protein
647
g
1294
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
