Skip to main content

Pheasant Balmoral With Venison Haggis Recipe

A flavorful and comforting Scottish national dish with a South Dakota twist.

Pheasant Balmoral With Venison Haggis Recipe
(Photo courtesy of Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley)
Print Recipe

In Scotland, chicken Balmoral is a dish often served in high-end restaurants. It is a chicken breast stuffed with haggis, wrapped in bacon and accompanied by Scotch whisky cream sauce. I can’t find any history on this dish, so I suspect that it is a modern creation – someone probably had too much leftover haggis after Burns Night and was probably tired of eating it plain. 

No one makes haggis for the sake of making chicken Balmoral – it is way too much work. But if you have leftovers from Burns Night, as I did, this is a nice recipe to finish off the rest of your “pudding.” Or, you can buy canned haggis. I’ve never tried it, but have heard good things. Grant’s seems to be a popular brand. 

I had this dish on two occasions while I was in the Highlands. The first was made with chicken at the Moorfield House Hotel in Braemar, and the second was prepared with guinea fowl at Culloden House near Inverness. Both dishes were delicious, but the guinea fowl gave me the idea to make this dish with pheasant. Also, if you like haggis already, this is a good way to introduce others to Scotland’s national dish.

You’ll need pheasant breasts that are on the larger side for this recipe. Small breasts may be difficult to stuff.

knife on cutting board with breast fillet and stuffing
(Photo courtesy of Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley)

Servings: 4
Prep time: 15 Minutes
Cook time: 15-25 Minutes 

Ingredients:

  • 4 large pheasant breasts or small chicken breasts
  • 1 cup of venison haggis or canned haggis*
  • 12 slices of prosciutto
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon of olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons of butter
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1 shot of single malt Scotch whisky
  • 1 teaspoon of coarse ground mustard
  • ½ cup of beef/game stock
  • ¼ cup of heavy cream
  • See my recipe for venison haggis. Or buy canned haggis, which is available online, including Amazon.

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. With a sharp knife, butterfly the pheasant breasts to form a pocket in each. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
  2. Take a small handful of haggis and form it into a log, and then stuff it into the pheasant breast; repeat with the others. Do not overstuff the breasts—1 cup is an estimate.
  3. Neatly and snugly as possible, wrap each breast with 2-3 slices of prosciutto. Brush each pheasant Balmoral with olive oil and lay on a baking sheet, giving each space. Bake in a 400-degree oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 155 degrees Fahrenheit. If making this recipe with chicken, the internal temperature should reach at least 165 degrees.
  4. While the pheasant is baking, make the Scotch whisky cream sauce: In a sauce pan, add butter over medium heat and sauté shallots until soft. Add whisky and stir, allowing whisky to reduce nearly completely. Add the stock and mustard, and simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and simmer until thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  5. Slice each Balmoral pheasant into medallions and serve with the whisky cream sauce. Traditional sides are mashed rutabagas and mashed potatoes.



GET THE NEWSLETTER Join the List and Never Miss a Thing.

Recommended Articles

Recent Videos

Sighting in a thermal optic is similar to a traditional riflescope. However, a thermal does require the target to give o...
Gear

New Browning Firearms for 2025: Citori 825 Shotgun, X-Bolt 2 Rifle

Sighting in a thermal optic is similar to a traditional riflescope. However, a thermal does require the target to give o...
Gear

New MagView Mount from Warne

Sighting in a thermal optic is similar to a traditional riflescope. However, a thermal does require the target to give o...
Gear

New Rings and Accessories from Warne

Sighting in a thermal optic is similar to a traditional riflescope. However, a thermal does require the target to give o...
Gear

Steiner's New ePredator 8 Riflescope and LRF Binocular

Sighting in a thermal optic is similar to a traditional riflescope. However, a thermal does require the target to give o...
Gear

Wonky Whitetails, Wind, and Weatherby Rifles

Sighting in a thermal optic is similar to a traditional riflescope. However, a thermal does require the target to give o...
Hunting

Ireland's Whistling Stags

Sighting in a thermal optic is similar to a traditional riflescope. However, a thermal does require the target to give o...
Gear

Silencer Central's New Modular Titanium Suppressor

Sighting in a thermal optic is similar to a traditional riflescope. However, a thermal does require the target to give o...
Hunting

Endless Bugles

Sighting in a thermal optic is similar to a traditional riflescope. However, a thermal does require the target to give o...
Gear

Weatherby's New Model 307 Alpine CT

Sighting in a thermal optic is similar to a traditional riflescope. However, a thermal does require the target to give o...
Gear

Aero Precision's New Solus Lightweight Hunter

Sighting in a thermal optic is similar to a traditional riflescope. However, a thermal does require the target to give o...
Gear

How to Sight-In a Thermal Optic

Petersen's Hunting Magazine Covers Print and Tablet Versions

GET THE MAGAZINE Subscribe & Save.

Digital Now Included!

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Give a Gift   |   Subscriber Services

PREVIEW THIS MONTH'S ISSUE

Buy Digital Single Issues

Magazine App Logo

Don't miss an issue.
Buy single digital issue for your phone or tablet.

Get the Petersen's Hunting App apple store google play store

Other Magazines

See All Other Magazines

Special Interest Magazines

See All Special Interest Magazines

GET THE NEWSLETTER Join the List and Never Miss a Thing.

Get the top Petersen's Hunting stories delivered right to your inbox.

Phone Icon

Get Digital Access.

All Petersen's Hunting subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets.

To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine.

Get Digital Access

Not a Subscriber?
Subscribe Now

Enjoying What You're Reading?

Get a Full Year
of Guns & Ammo
& Digital Access.

Offer only for new subscribers.

Subscribe Now

Never Miss a Thing.

Get the Newsletter

Get the top Petersen's Hunting stories delivered right to your inbox.

By signing up, I acknowledge that my email address is valid, and have read and accept the Terms of Use