How I Cook Pheasant in a Simple Italian Cacciatora Style

Join me in the kitchen as I prepare a delicious meal featuring pheasant, a true wild game delicacy. This video offers a clear guide on how to cook this flavourful meat in a simple Italian Cacciatora style, ensuring a memorable dining experience. We share a simple pheasant recipe that brings out the best in this ingredient, perfect for any home cooking enthusiast seeking delicious meals. This is a traditional way of preparing meat with white wine, vegetables and herbs, and it creates a slow cooked dish that is full of flavour without overwhelming the natural character of the pheasant. My friend Janice kindly gave me these pheasants and I wanted to keep the recipe gentle and honest so that the flavour of the game meat really comes through. In this video I brown the pheasant pieces first to seal the meat, then I soften onion, garlic, peppers, carrot and potatoes in the same pan so that all the flavours blend together from the beginning. A little dry white wine and a small splash of white wine vinegar help to balance the gamey notes. This is something that has long been done in the Italian countryside when preparing rabbit or chicken in a traditional cacciatora style. It is a recipe with humble origins where vinegar was once used to refresh inexpensive cuts of meat, and over time it became a much loved Italian classic.

The pheasant cooks slowly for about an hour with plum tomatoes, rosemary and a bay leaf. I add garden chard and spinach for a touch of earthiness and fibre, and near the end I add a generous handful of green olives kept in olive oil. They bring depth and balance, and I always add them towards the end so that their flavour stays present. While the dish simmers I introduce Remy, our little guest who is fourteen weeks old and already full of curiosity. He moves between the kitchen and Julie and fills the house with energy. It is a gentle moment in the middle of the recipe and reflects how cooking often sits naturally within everyday life. The final result is tender, balanced and full of warmth. The vinegar disappears into the sauce but leaves a pleasant brightness that lifts the meat. The vegetables soften beautifully and the pheasant becomes tender without falling apart. This is a dish that works well with pheasant, rabbit or chicken and it is perfect for a quiet afternoon in the kitchen.

Thank you for watching and I hope you enjoy this simple Italian cacciatora style pheasant recipe.

RECIPE
Ingredients

Pheasant pieces breast and legs
Extra virgin olive oil
One small onion chopped
One clove of garlic crushed
One small red pepper sliced
One small yellow pepper sliced
One medium carrot sliced
Two medium potatoes cubed
Dry white wine about one third of a glass
White wine vinegar a small splash
Plum tomatoes 100 grams whole
Fresh rosemary
One bay leaf
Chard and spinach mixed leafy greens
Green olives in olive oil
Salt
Black pepper

Method
Heat a little extra virgin olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add the pheasant pieces and brown them on all sides. Once browned, remove the pheasant and set aside.

In the same pan add the chopped onion and crushed garlic. Cook gently until softened, then add the sliced peppers, carrot and potatoes. Mix well, place a lid on and allow the vegetables to cook for about five minutes.

Return the pheasant to the pan along with any resting juices. Lower the heat slightly and arrange the pieces so they are in contact with the base of the pan.

Increase the heat briefly and add the white wine followed by a small splash of white wine vinegar. Allow the alcohol to cook off.

Add the plum tomatoes, rosemary and bay leaf. Season with salt and black pepper. Add the chard and spinach, mix gently, cover and cook on a steady medium heat for about one hour.

After one hour remove the rosemary and bay leaf. Add the green olives along with a little of their olive oil. Cook uncovered for a further five to ten minutes until the sauce has reduced slightly.

Serve hot.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Introducing pheasant and today’s recipe
00:21 Browning the pheasant
01:26 Building the cacciatora base
02:11 Wine vinegar and Italian tradition
03:49 Slow cooking with herbs and greens
06:05 Olives finishing and tasting

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