Baked Cherry Stuffed Pheasant Breast

 

Baked cherry stuffed pheasant breasts with sauteed leek mash

Wild game of many different types pairs well with a similarly numerous selection of fruits. While fresh cherries could be used in this recipe, they can be a little bit bitter so carefully rinsed glace cherries were used here instead. The main component of the dish was served on a bed of homemade apple and cider sauce with sauteed leek infused mash and garden peas.

Cook Time

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 25 min

Ready in: 40 min

Yields: 1 serving

Ingredients

• 1 Bramley or similar apple, cored, peeled and very roughly chopped
• 4 tablespoons dry apple cider, 2 each for sauce and for baking pheasant
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• Juice of half a lemon
• 2 medium sized baking potatoes
• Salt
• 1 skinless pheasant breast fillet
• 3 or 4 glace cherries, washed in lukewarm water and quartered
• 3 or 4 strips smoked streaky bacon or as required (standard US bacon)
• Black pepper
• 1 ounce/25g (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 inch/5cm piece of leek stem, finely sliced into discs
• Frozen peas as required

Method

Put your oven on to preheat to 190C/Gas Mark 5/375F.

Apples are starting to break down to form a sauce

Put the apples into a small saucepan along with 2 tablespoons of the cider, the sugar and the lemon juice. Put the pan on to a high heat until the liquid starts to simmer then reduce to medium to low and stir with a wooden spoon until the apple piece have mostly broken down and a lush sauce is starting to form. This should only take a few minutes. Turn off the heat, cover and set aside to cool.

Lay the pheasant breast on a chopping board and make a lengthways cut in the centre, going about 2/3 of the way through only. Lay the washed, chopped cherries in the gap created and season with a little black pepper only. Carefully pull the 2 sides of the pheasant breast together and wrap with the bacon strips to securely seal. Lay the package in a suitably sized casserole dish and pour over the remainder of the cider. Put the lid on the dish and bake in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes.

Cherry stuffed pheasant breast ready for baking

Peel and cut the potatoes into medium chunks. Add to a pot of cold, salted water and bring to a simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are just softened.

Leeks are put on to soften in butter

When the potatoes have been simmering for about 10 minutes, add the butter to s small saucepan and put it on to a medium heat to melt. Add the leeks and season with salt and pepper. Saute for a few minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the leeks are softened. Turn off the heat and briefly set aside.

Take the pheasant breast from the oven and test with a skewer to ensure the juices run clear. Put the lid back on the dish and set aside to rest for 5 minutes.

Add the peas to a pot of salted boiling water and reduce heat to achieve a simmer for 3 minutes.

When the potatoes are just softened, drain and return to the pot. Allow to steam off for a couple of minutes before mashing with a hand masher then carefully stirring in the sauteed leeks.

Lift the pheasant to a chopping board and cut in half at a 45-degree angle.

Spoon the apple sauce carefully into the centre of a square serving plate and arrange the pheasant breast pieces on top as shown in the picture at the top of this post. Use 2 dessert spoons to quenelle the potatoes and lay at the 4 corners of the plate, again as shown. Drain the peas and carefully spoon into the spaces around the pheasant and between the potato quenelles to serve.