Recipe: Golden Roast Pheasant

Here is a recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks, the Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook. I have only eaten pheasant that has been fixed for me (over in England) and it really is tasty. The one thing I remember is that it tends to be rather dry - we Americans often cringe when we see a recipe that adds bacon and butter like this, but I think that the once-a-year treat of a pheasant is probably enjoyed by the Brits without the "fat police" looking over their shoulders. And they know that the method works because pheasant isn't a fatty meat to begin with.

I sure do hope you got this thing cleaned and ready to cook!!

Golden Roast Pheasant

1 orange
1 pheasant (about 2-1/2 pounds), ready to cook
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp. rubbed sage
1/4 tsp. paprika
3 cloves garlic, peeled
3 sprigs fresh parsley
4 TBL (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temp.
3 slices bacon
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup golden raisinsPrehat oven to 350F.

Cut the orange in half. Squeeze the juice from 1 orange half into the cavity of the pheasant and over the skin. Rub the bird inside and out with salt, pepper, sage and paprika. Cut the remaining orange half in half and place, along with the garlic and parsley, in the cavity of the bird.

Spread the butter over the breast and place the bird breast-side up in a shallow roasting pan. Lay the bacon crosswise over the breast. Cover the pheasant with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the wine to boiling in a small saucepan over high heat. Add the raisins, remove from heat, and let stand for 45 minutes.

Remove the foil and pour the wine and raisins over the pheasant. Bake uncovered, basting frequently, until the juices run clear when a thigh is pierced with a sharp skewer, about 45 minutes.

Remove the pheasant with the bacon to a small serving platter. Spoon some raisin sauce over the top and pour the remaining into a sauceboat. Serve immediately.

Serves 2