Pheasant

Ingredients

• 2 pre‑cooked wild pheasants (about 700 g each)
• 1 tsp juniper berries
• 6 piment seeds
• Salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 80 g liquid butter
• 3 tbsp clarified butter

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash and dry the pheasants inside and out. Crush the juniper berries and finely crush the piment seeds in a mortar, then mix with salt and pepper. Rub this mixture onto the pheasants inside and out and brush them with half of the liquid butter.

2. 2.

   Preheat the oven to 220 °C (428 °F).

3. 3.

   Heat the clarified butter in a roasting pan and sear the prepared pheasants all around for 8–10 minutes, then transfer to the hot oven and roast for 10 minutes. Flip the pheasants over.

4. 4.

   Brush with the remaining butter and roast for another 10 minutes.

5. 5.

   Place the pheasants on their backs, baste with butter, and roast until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Check doneness by piercing the thighs; pink juices indicate done, red juices mean more time is needed.

6. 6.

   Let the finished pheasants rest briefly before serving.

7. 7.

   Serve over sauerkraut with grapes.