Deviled Pheasant: The Lux Dish Princess Anne Loves

There is no shortage of rumors and stories about the British royal family and their lavish, sometimes eccentric, lifestyles, especially when it comes to food. From Queen Elizabeth's ban on garlic and sandwiches with the crusts on (per CafeMom) to King Charles' ritual of requesting two plums for breakfast but only ever eating one (via MyLondon) the royals have a lot of very specific preferences about their food. 

One royal who has been receiving a lot of attention since the death of the Queen in September is her daughter, Anne, the Princess Royal. The second eldest of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's children was with her mother at Balmoral Castle in her final days and was dubbed "the hardest working royal" in 2021 according to Express after she completed 387 official royal engagements during the year, even as the country was still grappling with pandemic lockdowns. 

The dedicated princess has also been the subject of multiple stories featuring her own unusual culinary preferences. According to Echo, the Princess Royal starts each morning out with a bowl of fruit, but specially requests that her bananas be served overripe and nearly black because — as well as making them sweeter — the age reportedly means "they digest easier." Princess Anne has also publicly shared her personal favorite poultry dish, which is a bit unique.

You've probably heard of a deviled egg, but have you ever heard of deviled pheasant? That is the dish Princess Anne shared as one of her personal favorites when she guest-edited an issue of Country Life in July 2020. The recipe is not particularly complicated to make, however, it does include an ingredient that may not come to mind when you imagine preparing a dish with game birds: whipped cream.

Princess Anne's favorite deviled pheasant recipe, which was shared with Country Life, is a bit on the ritzy side, in that it comes from the Executive Chef of The Ritz in London, John Williams. While Southern Living notes that "devilling" food traditionally means to "cook something with fiery hot spices or condiments" like cayenne pepper and mustard, this dish is more decadent than spicy.

According to Chef Williams, preparation starts by boiling two whole pheasants with herbs and vegetables (including carrots, onions, and the royally taboo garlic), then removing the meat from the bone and leaving it to stew in the cooking juices. While the meat is sitting, whip up a batch of fresh whipped cream and allow it to cool until stiff, then mix in Worcestershire sauce and Sharwood's Green Label Mango Chutney. Drain the meat and place it in a serving dish, then pour the cream mixture over it and allow it to bake in the oven for about 10 minutes before serving. And voila! You've made yourself a meal fit for royalty.