Pheasant schnitzel with red cabbage slaw

Name: Pheasant schnitzel with red cabbage slaw
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 2
Ingredients: 1 tbsp cider vinegar; 1 tsp clear honey; 1 tsp wholegrain mustard; 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 200g red cabbage, very finely shredded; 1 crisp eating apple, cored and cut into matchsticks; 1 small red onion, very thinly sliced; Small handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped; 4 skinless pheasant breasts (about 100g each); 3 tbsp plain flour; 1 large egg, beaten; 60g panko breadcrumbs; 1 tsp thyme leaves, chopped; 1 unwaxed lemon, zest finely grated, then cut into wedges; 4 tbsp sunflower oil; 15g unsalted butter

Our pheasant schnitzel recipe coats bashed-thin breasts in lemony panko for a speedy October dinner for two, served with a crunchy red cabbage slaw.

Serves2

Hands-on30 min

DifficultyEasy

Pheasant breasts are lean and cook in minutes, so they take well to the schnitzel treatment: bashed flat, crumbed and fried until the game stays juicy inside a golden crust. The shooting season opened on 1 October under the Game Act 1831, and this is a quick way into the new birds; when there is more time, try our roast pheasant with cavolo nero and bacon or pan-fried pheasant with celeriac and parsnip rösti.

Why it’s so good: A sharp, honey-sweetened slaw of red cabbage and apple cuts through the buttery crumb.

Make it easy: Crumb the breasts in the morning and chill them, then fry when you get home.

Method

For the slaw, whisk the vinegar, honey, mustard and olive oil in a large bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss in the cabbage, apple and onion and leave for 10-15 minutes to soften slightly while you cook.
Run a finger over the pheasant breasts and pick out any shot (see tips). Lay them between two sheets of baking parchment and bash with a rolling pin until about 5mm thick. Season both sides.
Put the flour, egg and panko in three shallow dishes, stirring the thyme and lemon zest into the panko. Dust each breast in flour, dip in the egg, then press into the crumbs to coat well.
Heat the sunflower oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the butter and, once it foams, fry two schnitzels at a time for 2-3 minutes on each side until deep golden and cooked through, with no pink in the middle. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm while you cook the rest.
Stir the parsley through the slaw and taste for seasoning. Serve the schnitzels with the slaw and lemon wedges for squeezing over.

Nutrition

Per serving (Serves 2)
Calories	730kcals
Fat	35g (8g saturated)
Protein	58g
Carbohydrates	45g (16g sugars)
Fibre	5g
Salt	1.3g

Quick wins, tips & make ahead

Shot pheasant can carry small pieces of lead or steel, so feel through each breast before bashing and warn everyone at the table to take care.

The schnitzels can be crumbed up to 6 hours ahead and kept, covered, in the fridge. The slaw keeps for a day in the fridge, though the cabbage will turn the apple pink.

Chicken breasts, bashed thin in the same way, work if pheasant is hard to find. Cold leftover schnitzel makes a good sandwich with a spoonful of the slaw.