Entrée: United Kingdom – Roast Pheasant with Bread Sauce

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 15 min

Cook 50 min

Additional 15 min

Total 1 hr 10 min

Ingredients

1 whole pheasant, about 2.5 lb (1.1 kg), patted dry
4 slices streaky bacon (for barding) or 2 tbsp (30 ml) softened butter
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 onion, halved
1 carrot, roughly chopped
1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
3 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
1 / 2 cup (120 ml) dry white wine or cider
1 cup (240 ml) chicken or game stock
1 tsp (5 ml) flour (optional, for gravy)
Bread Sauce:
1 1 / 2 cups (360 ml) milk
1 small onion studded with 4 cloves
1 bay leaf
Pinch nutmeg
1 cup (90 g) fresh breadcrumbs
2 tbsp (30 g) butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 425°F/220°C. Season pheasant inside and out with salt and pepper; tuck thyme and bay into cavity.
2. B ard with bacon or rub with butter; set on onions, carrot, and celery in a roasting pan.
3. Roast 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 375°F/190°C and roast 20–30 minutes more, until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F/74°C.
4. Transfer pheasant to a warm plate, tent with foil, and rest 15 minutes.
5. While roasting, make bread sauce: gently heat milk with clove-studded onion and bay for 10 minutes; discard aromatics, whisk in breadcrumbs and butter, season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Keep warm.
6. For gravy: pour off excess fat, place pan over medium heat, deglaze with wine, scraping browned bits. Add stock; simmer 5 minutes.
7. Whisk in a little flour if desired; simmer to thicken. Adjust seasoning.
8. Carve pheasant and serve with bread sauce and pan gravy.