Pheasant dries out fast — bacon and butter keep it moist through the slow roast.
Serves: 4 (2 pheasants)
Prep: about 20 min
Cook: about 1 hour
Ingredients
- 2 whole pheasants, dressed
- 8-10 rashers of streaky bacon
- 50g butter, softened
- 2 onions, quartered
- 4 bay leaves
- A handful of thyme
- 250ml chicken or game stock
- 100ml white wine
- Salt and pepper
Equipment
- A roasting tin or oven dish
- Kitchen twine
- A meat thermometer
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C.
2. Rub the pheasants with salt and pepper, inside and out.
3. Spread the softened butter over the breasts and lay the bacon rashers tightly over the top; tie in place with kitchen twine if needed.
4. Place the onion, bay leaves and thyme in the oven dish and set the pheasants on top.
5. Pour the stock and white wine into the dish.
6. Roast for about 50-60 minutes, until it reaches a core temperature of 65-70°C. Baste halfway through with the pan juices.
7. Let the pheasant rest for 10 minutes under foil before carving.
Serving tip
Strain the pan juices and reduce briefly into a light jus. Delicious with sautéed mushrooms and mashed potatoes.
Photo: Benreis, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
