Pheasant A' L'Orange
Submitted by Curves
Roasted pheasant a l’orange with orange slices tucked under the skin and a caramelized red wine vinegar sauce. An elegant holiday-worthy bird served over wild rice.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
35 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
2 hrsPheasant a l’orange borrows the classic duck a l’orange technique and applies it to leaner game bird. Fresh orange slices slide under the breast skin before roasting, basting the meat from within and keeping it from drying out the way pheasant so easily can.
The sauce is where this recipe really earns its keep. Sugar and red wine vinegar cook down to a golden caramel, then get hit with dry red wine and the pan drippings from the roast. That combination of sweet, tangy, and savory coats each slice with a glossy, complex glaze that cuts through the richness of the bird.
Loosening the skin from the breast takes a gentle hand. Work your fingers slowly between skin and meat, being careful not to tear through. The pocket you create holds those orange slices snug against the flesh, so every bite of breast meat carries citrus flavor.
Pro Tips
- Pheasant is leaner than chicken, so do not skip the butter basting or the aluminum foil shield on the breast. Without both, the white meat will dry out.
- Turning the birds on their sides during roasting ensures even browning. Leaving them breast-up the whole time overbrowns the top while the sides stay pale.
- Watch the caramel closely. It goes from golden to burnt in seconds. Pull it off the heat the moment it turns amber.
- Let the birds rest 10 minutes after roasting before carving. The juices redistribute and every slice stays moist.
Variations
- Substitute Cornish game hens if pheasant is hard to find. Reduce roasting time by about 15 minutes.
- Use blood orange slices for a deeper, slightly berry-tinged citrus flavor.
- Swap wild rice for roasted root vegetables to keep the plate seasonal.
Ingredients
Directions
- Heat oven to 375℉ (190℃).
Rinse pheasants and pat dry.
Remove any excess fat from body and neck cavities.
Reserve necks and giblets.
Loosen skin from the breast meat of each pheasant with your fingers.
With knife, cut peel or rind and all membrane off 1orange; cut peeled orange crosswise into ¼ inch-thick slices.
Reserve peel.
- Place half of the orange slices on breast meat under the skin of each bird.
Tuck wing tips under back to hold neck skin down.
Place 1 carrot quarter, 1 onion quarter, and half of the orange peel inside each body cavity.
Using kitchen string, tie the legs of each pheasant together.
- In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter; remove from heat.
Place pheasants, breast sides up, on rack in a large roasting pan.
Brush birds all over with melted butter.
Set aside pan with any leftover butter.
- Roast the birds 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in saucepan with leftover butter, brown reserved necks and giblets.
Add remaining onion and carrot quarters; sauté 1 minute.
Add water; heat to boiling.
Partially cover pan; simmer giblet mixture over medium heat 45 minutes or until liquid is reduced by almost a third.
- Brush birds with pan drippings.
Turn each bird on its side; cover breasts with pieces of aluminum foil.
Continue to roast birds 15 minutes.
Turn birds to roast on other side; roast 15 to 20 minutes longer or just until juices run clear when thighs are pierced with a fork and breast meat near wing joint cut parallel to the bone is white with a touch of pink but no longer wet and soft.
- While pheasants are roasting, prepare rice following package directions, if desired.
Drain body-cavity juices from birds into roasting pan; cut string off birds.
Transfer birds to a serving platter; surround with hot cooked rice blend; keep warm.
Add giblet mixture to the roasting pan; heat and stir to loosen browned-on bits from the bottom of the pan.
Strain mixture into a 4-cup measuring cup or bowl; discard particles.
Spoon off fat from top of strained liquid.
You should have 2 cups liquid; if not, add water or chicken broth.
- In 2-quart saucepan, heat sugar and vinegar to boiling, stirring often until sugar dissolves.
Continue to boil sugar mixture or syrup until golden brown or it caramelizes, 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove from heat; set aside.
In cup, combine wine and cornstarch; stir into syrup in sauce- pan.
Whisk in strained 2 cups liquid and salt; return to heat and boil, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens.
Brush some sauce over birds; pour remainder into small pitcher.
- Peel and thinly slice remaining orange.
Arrange over pheasant breasts.
To carve, using sharp knife, remove the legs and thighs from the birds.
Cut the drumsticks from the thighs.
Thinly slice the breasts off the bone.
Pass sauce with the meat.
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