Roasted Pheasant with Bacon over Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- For the pheasant
- 2 Pheasant (about 800 grams or 1 3/4 pounds)
- 20 grams butter
- 2 Tbsps vegetable oil
- 6 slices Bacon
- 1 Tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 carrot
- 200 grams Celery
- ½ Parsnip
- 2 shallots
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp Juniper berries
- 6 centiliters Cognac
- ½ l Chicken broth
- salt
- peppers
Preparation steps
For the mashed potatoes, scrub potatoes and cook in boiling salted water until knife-tender, about 25 minutes.
For the pheasants, rinse pheasants and pat dry. Season inside and outside with salt and pepper. Brush with 20 grams (approximately 1 ounce) butter.
Wrap slices of bacon around pheasant breasts. Tie with kitchen twine.
Peel carrot, celery, parsley, shallot and garlic. Chop coarsely and cook in hot oil in a roasting pan, stirring occassionally. Deglaze with stock and set pheasants in breast side down on top of vegetables. Bake in preheated oven at 220°C (approximately 425°F) for 30-40 minutes. Turn pheasants and lower heat to 160°C (approximately 320°F). Cook for an additional 30-40 minutes. If needed, add more broth. Remove pheasants from pan, remove kitchen string and keep warm.
Pour liquid from pan through a sieve, add cognac, bring to a boil and boil down to taste. Season with salt and pepper.
Peel potatoes, squeeze through a ricer, stir in hot milk and cold butter and season with salt and nutmeg.
Carve pheasants, cut breasts into slices and arrange over mashed potatoes. Top with sauce and serve.
