Pheasant in Wine Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 pheasants (about 800 g)
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 handful fresh thyme
• 150 g cooked chestnuts
• 400 g shallots
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 2 stalks celery
• 80 g smoked ham (well marbled)
• 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 250 ml poultry stock
• 200 ml dry white wine
• 60 g Butter

Instructions

1. 1.

   Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F) with both top and bottom heat.

2. 2.

   Rinse the pheasants and pat them dry. Season the inside with salt and pepper. Rinse the thyme and shake it dry, leaving a few stems. Stuff the pheasants with the chestnuts and remaining thyme stems as desired, tying them if needed. Peel the shallots and garlic; halve the garlic cloves. Wash, trim, and cut the celery into 2–3 cm pieces. Slice the smoked ham into strips and briefly brown in a roasting pan with hot oil. Add the shallots, garlic, and celery and cook until browned. Deglaze with a splash of stock and wine. Place the pheasants breast‑side down on top of the vegetables. Rub the butter with salt and pepper and brush it over the birds. Roast for about 30 minutes, basting occasionally with more butter. Turn the pheasants over and brush with the remaining butter. Continue roasting another 30 minutes until golden brown, spooning sauce over them as needed and adding stock if the sauce reduces too much.

3. 3.

   Taste at the end and serve sprinkled with the remaining thyme sprigs.