There is something about the combination of poultry and apples that just sings.
I have no idea why it works, but it just does. Duck and Apples is one of my go-to dishes in winter, and this dish, essentially pheasant with apples, is called Pheasant Normandy. It’s a wild game variation of a French classic done with chicken.
I first learned about chicken Normandy while watching Emeril Lagasse, of all things; he made it on his stand-and-stir show a decade or so ago. Been making it ever since.
This recipe is a simple mix of sweet onions, gently cooked apples, cider, cream, brandy and chicken… or pheasant in this case. There is no special technique involved here, no great difficulty or esoteric ingredients.
This is comfort food, and all it asks of you is a little time.
I designed this recipe for skinless pheasant legs, which can be cooked entirely on the stovetop. If you have skin-on legs, you can crisp the skin in at 375°F oven at the end. Obviously this will work with chicken, but it's also great with partridges or ruffed grouse as well. You could also use wild turkey thighs.
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cooking apples, cored and sliced into wedges
- Flour for dredging
- 4 to 6 pheasant legs with thighs
- Salt
- 1 large onion, sliced root to top
- 1/2 cup Calvados or other apple brandy
- 2 cups apple cider
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- Salt the pheasant legs and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a Dutch oven or another large, oven-proof pan over medium heat. Add the apple slices and sauté until they turn a little brown around the edges, turning occasionally. Sprinkle the apple slices with a little salt. Set aside on paper towels.
- Dust the pheasant in flour and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan. Brown the pheasant for 3 to 5 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Add the onion and increase the heat to medium-high. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until they just begin to brown, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Take the pan off the heat and pour in the brandy. Put the pan back on the heat and, using a wooden spoon, scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Let the brandy boil until it has reduced by about half. Add the cider and bring it to a boil. Add the thyme. Lay the pheasant legs in the pan, cover and simmer gently until tender, anywhere from 90 minutes to 2 1/2 hours.
- Fish out the pheasant legs and strip the meat off the bones if you want to. Turn the heat to high, add the apples and boil down the sauce by half. When the sauce gets a little syrupy, turn off the heat and add the cream. Add salt to taste. Serve by spooning some apples and onions on everyone's plate and topping it with the pheasant.
Michael Nadeau says
December 15, 2016 at 3:02 pmMade this a few weeks ago. Was very approachable for a French recipe. My wife and I both loved it. Doing again tomorrow night to share with friends.
Kelley says
November 7, 2018 at 4:42 amI had boneless, skinless pheasant breasts from a friend’s recent hunt, so I did a riff off your recipe. I pounded the pheasant breasts thin (like a veal cutlet), lightly dredged them in flour with salt, and pan fried them quickly in butter (just 2-3 minutes cooking time per side). Once done, I set them aside and used a used a little brandy to deglaze the pan. Then, I reserved the sauce (in a small bowl). Next I cooked the onion with a little more butter, then added the apples with the time and sautéed for a few minutes. Finally, I added back in the reserved sauce (from deglazing) with a little extra water and chicken base (I didn’t have any cider on hand); I rapidly simmered until the apples were soft and the sauce was the consistency of a thin gravy. I added the whipping cream and nestled the breasts back in the pan to warm up a little. My family RAVED about this dinner. Thanks so much – I know you cooked yours a little differently, but this is an AMAZING recipe for pheasant! Very versatile!