What shall I do with this pheasant?

[Yamadori]

We were given a pheasant a few weeks ago which I put in the freezer. It is currently thawing out, and I am stumped with a nice way to cook it. I was thinking of either roasting it, or maybe a casserole?

Can anyone help with a good recipe please? TIA

Pot roast, with onions, celery, bacon, apple and cider?

They can be rather dry if just roasted (unless buttered wrapped in bacon)

Ooh yes, that sounds nice - don't have any cider, but could I substitute with white wine instead?

Ediths recipe sounds good
I'd stay away from putting it in a casserole/stew and such like as it may take over from the taste of the bird in a rich sauce.

I can recommend Delia's pot roast recipe with Madeira. We've done it several times and leftovers freeze well too.

I'd go for roasting it, buttered with bacon as Edith says, but then I like roast potatoes.

Pheasant needs long, slow cooking - stewing is best

Gordon Ramsay's recipe calls for red wine

You could try it with white wine instead

www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/leisure/taste/recipes/4792747.Gordon_Ramsay___s_Pheasant_Casserole_with_Winter_Vegetables_and_Colcannon/

I do them in the slow cooker with carrots and a bit of sherry

Right - it's in the oven in my Le Creuset casserole dish - took legs off and laid them round the side in the bottom, and put body in the middle. Bacon over that. Added what I had, which was onion, parsnip, carrot, celery, Herbs de Provence, mugful of chicken stock and a slosh of white wine. Gas mark 4. Fingers crossed

Thanks for all your suggestions, really helpful. In the end I made use of what I found in the fridge, chucked it all in and hoped for the best!!

Eaten?

How was it?

It was delicious Edith. DH had never had pheasant before and he really liked it. He's going to tell his farmer friend how much we enjoyed it, with any luck we might get another free one

However I cook present it's always drier than a desert in a drought! So I'd suggest you bin it and buy a chicken But watching thread with interest as I've got a bunch in the freezer ....

I found a great recipe which called for leftover prosecco. I don't know what this 'leftover' is - perhaps it's a specific vinyard? - but can confirm that the normal stuff works just as well

www.thefield.co.uk/food/recipes/top-10-pheasant-recipes-perfect-roast-pheasant-with-white-wine-and-charlotte-potatoes-21714

I read that pheasants shot before Christmas were suitable for roasting, after they should be casseroled. I stock my freezer with young pheasants for roasting, and pheasant breasts from the local farmers' market for curries.

Older birds, I halve, then cook with onion, mushrooms in a mix of cider and apple juice , finished with a dollop of cream. Yum.