Pheasant with Mushroom Sauce
Danielle PrewettDanielle Prewett is the founder of Wild + Whole and a Wild Foods Contributing Editor for MeatEater. She is passionate about the outdoors because hunting, fishing, gardening, and foraging enable her to connect with her food and eat consciously. Texas is home for Danielle and when she isn’t in the kitchen, she can be found upland hunting with her bird dogs. Check out some of Danielle'sfavorite gear.
Course
Main
Duration
30 minutes
Serves
4
Chef’s notes
Many upland hunters grew up cooking pheasant with a can of cream of mushroom soup. This recipe is the scratch version of that nostalgic dish.
It’s worth the time and effort to use fresh ingredients; they produce a much more flavorful sauce than the canned variety. It’s perfect served over a bed of wild rice for a delicious dinner this hunting season.
Ingredients
- 8 sage leaves (optional)
- 4 pheasant breasts (2 birds)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 8 oz. mushrooms, chopped
- 1 medium shallot, sliced
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Salt and pepper
- Cooking oil
Also works with
Turkey cutlet, grouse, chukar
Special equipment
Sauté pan
Preparation
- Spread the flour across a plate. Season the pheasant with salt and pepper on both sides, then dredge in flour. Shake away the excess flour and set aside.
- Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 1-2 tbsp. of oil, or enough to coat the bottom of the pan in a thin layer. Use tongs to lay each sage leaf into the oil. Fry leaves for 15-30 seconds per side and remove to a paper towel.
- In the same pan, lay down each pheasant breast to sear. Allow them to cook undisturbed until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add 1 tbsp. of butter to the hot pan. When it has melted and begins to foam, add the mushrooms and shallot. Sauté the mushrooms until they are golden brown.
- Deglaze the pan with white wine and chicken stock. Increase the heat and bring to a soft boil. Reduce these liquids in half.
- Pour in the cream and reduce the sauce for another 2-3 minutes. Taste and season with a pinch of nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
- Return the pheasant breasts back to the pan and reduce the heat to low. Cook for an additional minute or until the pheasant is cooked through and is warm. Serve over wild rice with the mushroom-cream sauce and fried sage.
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Pheasant with Mushroom Sauce
Recipe by:Danielle Prewett
Course
Main
Duration
30 minutes
Serves
4
Chef’s notes
Many upland hunters grew up cooking pheasant with a can of cream of mushroom soup. This recipe is the scratch version of that nostalgic dish.
It’s worth the time and effort to use fresh ingredients; they produce a much more flavorful sauce than the canned variety. It’s perfect served over a bed of wild rice for a delicious dinner this hunting season.
Ingredients
- 8 sage leaves (optional)
- 4 pheasant breasts (2 birds)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 8 oz. mushrooms, chopped
- 1 medium shallot, sliced
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Salt and pepper
- Cooking oil
Also works with
Turkey cutlet, grouse, chukar
Special equipment
Sauté pan
Preparation
- Spread the flour across a plate. Season the pheasant with salt and pepper on both sides, then dredge in flour. Shake away the excess flour and set aside.
- Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 1-2 tbsp. of oil, or enough to coat the bottom of the pan in a thin layer. Use tongs to lay each sage leaf into the oil. Fry leaves for 15-30 seconds per side and remove to a paper towel.
- In the same pan, lay down each pheasant breast to sear. Allow them to cook undisturbed until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add 1 tbsp. of butter to the hot pan. When it has melted and begins to foam, add the mushrooms and shallot. Sauté the mushrooms until they are golden brown.
- Deglaze the pan with white wine and chicken stock. Increase the heat and bring to a soft boil. Reduce these liquids in half.
- Pour in the cream and reduce the sauce for another 2-3 minutes. Taste and season with a pinch of nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
- Return the pheasant breasts back to the pan and reduce the heat to low. Cook for an additional minute or until the pheasant is cooked through and is warm. Serve over wild rice with the mushroom-cream sauce and fried sage.