Roast Pheasant with Heather and Whiskey Raspberry Gravy
- 6 to 8 sprigs heather
- 2 tablespoons Scotch whisky
- 2 pheasants
- 1 pint raspberries
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- Salt and pepper
- 4 thin slices bacon
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup well-reduced veal or chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon red currant jelly
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Set aside 4 small sprigs of heather for decoration, and crush the rest with a rolling pin to bruise and release flavors.
- Pour the whisky over the heather on a plate and leave to soak.
- Crush 1/2 of the pint of raspberries and put them inside the pheasants.
- Spread the birds with softened butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Wrap them in bacon, securing the whisky-soaked heather inside.
- Tie the birds with string and set them in a small roasting pan.
- Pour over any whisky from the heather.
- Roast the birds in the oven, basting them often and turning them from time to time so they brown evenly, 35 to 45 minutes.
- When done they should be well browned and the legs will wiggle when pulled.
- Tip raspberries from the birds into the pan.
- Transfer bird to a carving board and cover with foil to keep warm.
- For gravy: stir flour into the pan juices and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes until browned.
- Add stock and bring the gravy to a boil, stirring to dissolve pan juices.
- Simmer it 2 minutes or until concentrated, then strain into a small pan.
- Whisk in red currant jelly and heat until melted.
- Stir in remaining raspberries and cook 1 to 2 minutes until just soft.
- Taste gravy and adjust the seasoning.
- Using poultry shears, discard string from the pheasants and cut them in half, discarding backbone.
- Arrange them overlapping on a serving dish or on individual plates.
- Spoon over the raspberries with a little gravy, serving the rest separately.
- Decorate the pheasants with heather sprigs.
heather, scotch whisky, pheasants, raspberries, butter, salt, thin slices bacon, flour, veal, red currant
Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/roast-pheasant-with-heather-and-whiskey-raspberry-gravy-recipe.html (may not work)