Pheasant Breast Schnitzel with Roasties

 

Pheasant schnitzel with roast potatoes, sprouts and cranberry sauce

A schnitzel for many people will immediately conjure up images of the famous Austrian dish, Wiener Schnitzel, made from a fillet of pounded veal coated in breadcrumbs before being fried. While that is understandable, schnitzels of many different type are popular in Austria and particularly Southern Germany, where you will find them regularly in restaurants made with everything from pork or beef to turkey. The breast fillets from wild game birds such as pheasants are perfect for schnitzels as the cooking and preparation method helps prevent the ultra lean meat overcooking and becoming tough.

Cook Time

Prep time: 15 min (plus 30 min cooling time for boiled potatoes)

Cook time: 1 hour

Ready in: 1 hour 45 min

Yields: 1 serving

Ingredients

• 5 medium sized baby potatoes, or as desired
• Salt
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 1 skinless pheasant breast fillet
• Black pepper
• Dried tarragon
• 1 egg, beaten 
• 2 tablespoons plain/all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
• 6 to 8 Brussels sprouts, or as desired 
• Cranberry sauce as required
• 1 lemon wedge to garnish

Method

Wash the potatoes but leave them whole and unpeeled. Put them into a pot of cold, salted water and bring the water to a simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, until the potatoes are just softened. Drain, set aside and allow to cool completely (minimum of 30 minutes but longer is fine).

Pour enough vegetable oil into a medium casserole dish or similar to fill it to a depth of around 0.5" (1.25cm) and place the dish into your cold oven. Put the oven on to preheat to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6.

Pheasant breast is firstly seasoned

Season the pheasant breast on both sides with salt, pepper and some dried tarragon. The tarragon is of course optional or could be substituted with the likes of thyme, if preferred.

Pheasant breast in freezer bag for pounding

Place the seasoned pheasant breast in a plastic freezer bag, comfortably large enough to contain it. Sit the bag on a hard surface such as a chopping board and use a small rolling pin or similar to gently pound the breast to an even thickness of about 0.5" (1.25cm).

Prepared schnitzel is left to rest before frying

Put the breadcrumbs, flour and beaten egg in to 3 different, similarly sized, semi-deep and suitable plates/bowls. Pat the pheasant breast on both sides in the flour before dredging in the egg and patting on both sides in the breadcrumbs. Dredge again in the egg and pat a second time in the breadcrumbs for an extra thick and ultimately crunchy coating. Very importantly, sit the prepared schnitzel on a plate and leave it for 15 minutes to allow the egg to seep into the breadcrumbs. If you fry it when the breadcrumbs are completely dry, they will burn on the outside and turn unpleasantly bitter to taste.

Peel/rub the skins from the cooled potatoes before adding them carefully to the hot oil, being aware of potential spitting/splashing. Turn them around in the oil with a metal spatula and cook in the oven for 30 minutes, carefully turning again every 10 to 15 minutes to ensure even cooking.

Pheasant schnitzel is shallow fried in oil

When the potatoes are about 10 minutes into their cooking time, pour  little oil into a non-stick frying pan and fry the pheasant schnitzel for 7 or 8 minutes each side over a low to medium heat. 

The cooking time of the sprouts will vary hugely, depending on their size. Do bear in mind that the most common reason for people not liking sprouts is that they are served overcooked! These medium sprouts were added to boiling, salted water for 10 minutes but this can vary a few minutes each way for smaller or larger sprouts.   

At the end of the cooking time, the pheasant meat in the schnitzel should be cooked and the breadcrumbs beautifully crisp and golden. Lift the schnitzel to a heated plate, cover with foil and leave to rest for 5 minutes.

Roast potatoes are drained on kitchen paper

Lift the potatoes with the slotted spoon from the cooking dish to a deep plate or bowl lined with kitchen paper and allow to drain off for a couple of minutes. Season with salt and malt vinegar, as desired. Drain the sprouts at your sink through a colander.

Tucking in to pheasant breast schnitzel

Plate the schnitzel, with the potatoes and sprouts alongside. Add a couple of teaspoons of cranberry sauce to the plate and a lemon wedge to the top of the schnitzel to serve.