Emerils Favorite Roast Pheasant Recipes

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F and position the oven rack in the bottom third of the oven. 2. Season the cavities and the outside of each pheasant liberally with salt and pepper. 3. Divide the chopped onion and carrot equally among the cavities of the pheasants. 4. Squeeze the juice from both halves of the orange and set aside. 5. Cut 1 of the squeezed halves into 3 pieces, and tuck inside of the cavities along with the veggies. 6. Insert 1 sprig of thyme into the cavity of each pheasant. 7. Arrange the pheasants in a large roasting pan, breast sides up. 8. Lay 2 strips of bacon over the top of each pheasant, cutting the bacon into pieces if necessary to cover as much of the pheasant as possible. 9. Roast for 15 minutes, then remove the bacon strips and continue roasting for approximately 30 to 40 minutes, or until the juices run clear. (It is important to not overcook the pheasants, as they are very lean birds.) 10. Remove the pheasants from the oven and transfer to a serving platter, loosely tented, while you make the sauce. 11. Using a spoon, carefully remove as much extra fat from the pan as possible. 12. Place the roasting pan over high heat and, when hot, deglaze with the reserved orange juice and Madeira, using a wooden spoon to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. 13. When the orange juice and Madeira have reduced by half, add the chicken stock and continue to cook until sauce has reduced enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3 to 4 minutes. 14. Swirl in the butter and remove from the heat. 15. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. 16. Remove the back bone from each pheasant, then cut along the breast bone to divide the birds into two halves. 17. Serve 1/2 pheasant per person, napped with some of the sauce. *Note: Wild pheasants are usually smaller birds, and thus will cook in less time. If you are using wild pheasants, please adjust the recipe accordingly.

Steps:

• To prepare the stuffing: Melt the butter in a saute pan over low heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for 20 minutes, or until the onion is cooked through but not brown. Set aside. Put the crackers in a large bowl, add the egg, the cooked onion and celery, the sage, roasted corn, chicken stock, salt, and pepper and mix well. To stuff and roast the pheasant: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Season the pheasant cavity with some of the salt and pepper, then put the stuffing inside. Truss with skewers or tie with butcher's twine. Season the bird with the remaining salt and pepper. Lay the bacon over the breast. Place the pheasant on a metal roasting rack set inside a roasting pan and place on the middle rack of the oven. Roast for 25 minutes, basting the legs once or twice with the pan juices. After 25 minutes raise the temperature to 450 degrees and finish the bird for 10 minutes more, or until golden brown with an internal temperature of about 140 degrees near the thigh. To prepare the sauce: While the pheasant is roasting, puree the corn kernels in a food processor. You should have about 2 cups of pure. Place in a small saucepan with the habanero. Bring the juice to 200 degrees. Do not boil or the sauce will break. Add the lime juice and salt. To serve: Let the bird rest for 5 minutes before carving. Take the bacon off the breast and carve the bird, dividing the breast and thighs. Serve with the corn sauce and sauteed leeks.