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Pretzel-Crusted Pheasant Cutlets with Apple-Cream Sauce and Spätzle

Recipe by Ryan Sparks of Quail Forever.
This recipe pairs beautifully with Quail Forever White Wine.

This recipe brings together two hallmarks of fall that can be enjoyed year round – moist and tender pheasant paired with a silky sauce of apples and cream. Served with buttery spätzle, the pretzel encrusted pheasant carries a subtle Oktoberfest spirit, like something you might find in a Bavarian hunting lodge. In spring, the rich flavors find new life alongside the season’s freshness. A light pilsner or crisp white wine rounds it out perfectly for a cool spring evening when the air still carries a hint of winter, but the landscape is greening up quickly.

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients

  • For the Cutlets    
  • 4 pheasant breast halves, trimmed and pounded to ¼-inch thickness    
  • 2 cups salted pretzels of your choice*, smashed in a zip-lock bag or blitzed up in a food processor    
  • ½ cup flour    
  • 2 large eggs    
  • Splash of milk    
  • Enough canola or peanut oil to fill a ¼ inch of your skillet    
  • Salt and pepper to taste (taste your pretzels first; reduce if salty)    
  • For the Spätzle    
  • 2 cups flour    
  • ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg    
  • 2 eggs    
  • ¼ cup heavy cream    
  • 1 cup buttermilk    
  • Healthy pinch of salt    
  • For the Apple Cream Sauce    
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (divided)    
  • 1 small shallot or ¼ small onion, finely minced    
  • 1 medium tart-sweet apple (like Honeycrisp or Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and diced small    
  • ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or ¼ teaspoon dried)    
  • ½ cup pheasant (or chicken) stock    
  • ½ cup heavy cream    
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (optional but adds depth)    
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice (to brighten)    
  • Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste    
  • Optional apple and thyme for garnish    

Instructions

Instructions for the Cutlets

  1. Pat the cutlets dry and pound lightly to ¼-inch thick.
  2. Set up a breading station by placing the flour, whisked eggs with a splash of milk, and crushed pretzels in three shallow dishes.
  3. Dredge each pheasant cutlet in flour, then egg, then crushed pretzels.
  4. Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Cook cutlets in batches, 3-5 minutes per side.
  5. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and place in a warmed oven while you prepare the spätzle and sauce.

Instructions for the Spätzle

  1. Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl.
  2. Run the batter through a spätzle maker or wide-holed sieve over a large pot of salted boiling water.
  3. Cook until the small dumplings float and remove with a slotted spoon.

Instructions for the Apple-Cream Sauce

  1. After frying the pheasant cutlets, pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of the frying fat.
  2. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and melt over medium heat, scraping up any browned bits from the pan.
  3. Add the minced shallot and cook 1–2 minutes until soft and fragrant.
  4. Stir in the diced apple and thyme; cook another 2–3 minutes until apples start to soften.
  5. Pour in the pheasant stock and bring to a gentle simmer.
  6. Cook 3–4 minutes to reduce by about half.
  7. Stir in the cream and Dijon mustard.
  8. Simmer another 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens enough to lightly coat a spoon.
  9. Remove from heat; stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter.
  10. Add apple cider vinegar or lemon juice for brightness and season to taste with salt and pepper.
  11. Place spätzle on a plate topped with a cutlet. Spoon the sauce over the top and garnish with extra thyme or a few thin apple slices if desired.

*Chef’s note: Pretzel chips work especially well. They blitz into small flat pieces that adhere well to the cutlet and remain crunchy when fried.

Paired Wines

2022 Belli Chardonnay

2022 Belli Chardonnay

Elegantly composed Chardonnay from celebrated Russian River Vineyard
Recommended
$56