TV TIME: The tiny town of Westline was in the spotlight this
past Saturday when a chef for the Westline Inn prepared one of her
favorite dishes on a special cooking program on WPSU-TV.

Julia Frick, chef and co-owner of the Inn, prepared “Pheasant a
la Normade,” and has graciously allowed us to pass along her recipe
for this scrumptious dish.

First, you need a pheasant weighing 2-3 pounds, cut in half,
skin left on. A broiler-frying chicken of comparable weight can be
substituted. Julia tells us she has also prepared the dish with
boneless, skinless chicken breasts, which cook much quicker. If you
choose to use them, however, dredge them in seasoned flour before
saut_ing.

Other ingredients are:

Freshly ground sea salt and peppercorn blend

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 peeled, cored and sliced Granny Smith apples

1/3 cup applejack or Calvados (an apple brandy made in the
Calvados region off Normandy)

1/3 cup heavy cream

Season pheasant halves on both sides with salt and pepper. In a
large saut_ pan, melt butter over medium heat until lightly
browned. Add pheasant halves, skin side down. Adjust heat to saut_
until golden brown on both sides, 8-10 minutes per side.

When browning the pheasant, carefully regulate the heat so as to
brown, but not scorch. Transfer pheasant to a 3-quart casserole
dish.

Add the apples to the saut_ pan and caramelize (brown) over
medium-high heat, about 5-10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon,
transfer the apples to the casserole dish. Cover and bake in
preheated 375-degree oven, 30-45 minutes, or until pheasant is
cooked through and juices run clear.

When you are ready to prepare the sauce, heat the pan juices
over high heat.

Add the applejack or Calvados and – important! – tip the pan
away from you, as this is going to ignite. This flame will burn off
the alcohol and die out in a few seconds.

Stir in the cream and simmer until thickened. Season the sauce
with additional salt and pepper to taste. Remove casserole from
oven. Transfer 1/2 pheasant and 1/2 of apples to each of two warmed
serving dishes. Drizzle with sauce and serve immediately.

Julia suggests serving the pheasant with a wild rice mix and a
saut_ of any “woodsy” mushroom blend.

Julia is chef and co-owner of The Westline Inn with her brother,
Jon Pomeroy, and his wife Trudy.