Pheasant is a beautiful little bird, smaller than a chicken, with magnificent, flavorful meat. One of my favorite ways to prepare pheasant seems impossibly simple: just wrap it in bacon, sprinkle it with garden herbs, and roast it. You can follow this same method with any other bird with beautiful results.
SERVES: 4 TO 6
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 pheasant (about 3 pounds)
- 1 yellow onion, quartered
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 8 ounces bacon (about 8 slices)
- ¼ cup white wine
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Stuff the cavity of the pheasant with the quartered onion. Tuck the wing tips behind the bird and tie the legs together with 100 percent cotton cooking twine.
- Sprinkle the bird with the chopped herbs and lay the bacon slices over the top, covering its breast, thighs, and legs.
- Place the bacon-covered pheasant in a baking dish, pour in the white wine, and roast for 20 minutes, basting the bird after 10 minutes with the juices in the dish.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and continue roasting the pheasant for another 30 to 40 minutes, or until the juices run clear when the tip of a knife is inserted between the breast and thigh.
- Remove the dish from the oven, tent the bird with foil or parchment paper, and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
- Carve and serve with the pan juices.
