Recipe Name: Pheasant Breasts in Apple-Sage Fricassee
Category: 18TH CENTURY
Serves: 4
5 Tblsp all-purpose flour
1/4 Tsp. salt
1/4 Tsp. black pepper
1/4 Tsp. paprika
4 pheasant breast halves, boneless and skinless
chicken can be used in substitution
3 Tblsp olive oil
1/2 Cup diced onion
1/2 Cup diced celery
1/2 Cup diced red bell pepper
1 Clove garlic, crushed
1/2 Cup calvados (brandy)
1/2 Tsp. sage
1 Cup cream
1 Cup chicken or pheasant stock
2 Granny Smith apples, cored and diced with the peel
In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt, pepper, and paprika. Dredge the pheasant breasts in this mixture. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the breasts on both sides, about 4 minutes a side. Remove from the skillet and set aside on a plate.
Add the onion, celery, red pepper, and garlic to the skillet and sauté, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. You may need to lower the heat to prevent the vegetables from browning.
Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the flour mixture over the vegetables and stir for 1 minute to dissolve. Whisk the calvados, sage, cream, and stock into the skillet. Stir until the mixture is smooth and beginning to thicken.
Put the pheasant breasts and apples into the skillet and simmer on low for 10 minutes, spooning the sauce over the meat a couple of times. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over egg noodles or rice.