Exquisite Pheasant Breast Recipe: Festive Christmas Delicacy

If you’re big on meat, my pheasant breast recipe just might be what you’re looking for. Admittedly, poultry, for that matter, is much more accessible, and you are probably much more familiar with it. I can confidently say that pheasant meat is much underrated, so let me say this: A distinctive, aromatic, and gamey taste is what you get with pheasant meat.

Pheasant meat is definitely not easy to come by, and it might be expensive for some. Regardless, my pheasant breast recipe requires the most basic ingredients (well, let’s ignore pancetta for now), is done in half an hour, and it’s delicious.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Dietary Restrictions
• Equipment
• Storage
• Pro Tips
• Exquisite Pheasant Breast Recipe: Festive Christmas Delicacy
• Comments

Ingredients

• Pheasant breast — 4 filets, skinless
• Unsalted butter — 1 tbsp.
• Olive oil — 1 tbsp.
• Black pepper — ½ tsp.
• Salt — 1 tsp.
• Garlic — 1 clove, peeled and chopped
• White wine — ¼ cup
• Double cream — ½ cup
• Parsley — 1 tbsp., chopped
• Chestnut mushrooms — 1 cup, sliced
• Yellow mustard — 1 tsp.
• Pancetta — ⅔ cup, cubed

Instructions

1. Season the pheasant breast filets with salt and black pepper on both sides.

2. Heat the oil and melt the butter in a pan on medium heat.

3. Transfer the pheasant breast filets to the pan and cook for 5 minutes per side.

4. Remove from the pan and place on a plate. Drain using paper towels.

5. Now, combine the garlic, mushrooms, and pancetta.

6. Cook until the vegetables are tender and soft, which takes only a few minutes.

7. Now, add the wine and cook for 10 minutes.

8. Add the cream, mustard, and parsley, and bring to a simmer.

9. Let the mixture simmer for a minute or two.

10. Return the pheasant breasts to the pan before serving.

Substitutions

• Yellow mustard — Although yellow mustard works well enough, you can substitute it with Dijon mustard in a 1/1 ratio.

• Pancetta — Pancetta provides a unique and niche flavor to my pheasant breast recipe, but you have various alternatives if you are looking for a substitute. I’ve found that smoked sausage, smoked ham, and bacon work incredibly well.

• Chestnut mushrooms — There really is no need to substitute this one, but if you’re certain about it, you could consider button mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms.

Variations

• Cheesy — Although my pheasant breast recipe makes a filling dish, you could always add your personal touch with some additions. My go-to addition to this recipe is usually grated parmesan cheese, but different types of cheese fit well, too.

• Sweeter — As loaded as the ingredients list is, it doesn’t include any sweetener. If that’d be a problem for you, I’d recommend adding a tad of honey, as it works so well for me. Granulated sugar will work great, too, and so will brown sugar.

Dietary Restrictions

• Alcohol-free — My pheasant breast recipe calls for white wine, which brings a rich and complex flavor to the table that is really not easy to replicate. Regardless, my go-to substitute for wine in most recipes is chicken broth, but vegetable broth works great too!

• Dairy-free — This pheasant breast recipe could easily be made dairy-free, but you must substitute two ingredients. Obviously, double cream would be the first. Coconut cream is my favorite substitute for this one, but you could also get away with a combination of non-dairy milk and cornstarch. A cup of the former and two tablespoons of the latter would be enough.

Equipment

• Measuring cups and spoons

• Frying pan 

• Plate 

• Paper towels

Storage

• Transfer the leftovers to an airtight container before refrigerating them. Once stored in your fridge, the leftovers will last for up to two days.

• Freezing the leftovers in freezer bags can keep the leftovers for three months.

Pro Tips

• Seasoning — My pheasant breast recipe uses salt and black pepper to season the filets. While those two should do some good work, if those won’t be enough for you, feel free to use your favorite seasonings.