Best Orange Roasted Pheasants Recipes

EMERIL'S FAVORITE ROAST PHEASANT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F and position the oven rack in the bottom third of the oven.
• Season the cavities and the outside of each pheasant liberally with salt and pepper. Divide the chopped onion and carrot equally among the cavities of the pheasants. Squeeze the juice from both halves of the orange and set aside. Cut 1 of the squeezed halves into 3 pieces, and tuck inside of the cavities along with the veggies. Insert 1sprig of thyme into the cavity of each pheasant.
• Arrange the pheasants in a large roasting pan, breast sides up. 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. 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.) Remove the pheasants from the oven and transfer to a serving platter, loosely tented, while you make the sauce.
• Using a spoon, carefully remove as much extra fat from the pan as possible. 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. 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. Swirl in the butter and remove from the heat. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• Remove the back bone from each pheasant, then cut along the breast bone to divide the birds into two halves. Serve 1/2 pheasant per person, napped with some of the sauce and with some of the Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding.
• Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over high heat. Add the onions and cook until golden brown and tender, 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon of the garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the Essence, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 3/4 teaspoon of the pepper, and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are tender and have given off their liquid, about 5 minutes. Add the beer and cook, stirring, to deglaze the pan and until the mixture is almost dry, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
• In a large bowl, combine the eggs, cream, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of Essence, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and whisk well to combine. Add the mushroom mixture and cheeses and stir well. Add the bread cubes and let sit until the bread has absorbed the liquid, 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with the butter. Add the bread crumbs, shaking to cover the bottom evenly. Pour the bread pudding mixture into the prepared pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 1 hour and uncover. Continue baking until risen and firm in the center, and golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before serving.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
• Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

PHEASANT IN ORANGE SAUCE

Steps:

• Wash pheasant and pat dry.
• Sprinkle on both sides with paprika.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet and cook pheasant on both sides till browned.
• Add more butter if needed.
• Mix water and bouillon and pour over pheasant.
• Lower heat and cover and simmer for thirty minutes until tender.
• Add water if needed and turn meat several times.
• Combine remaining ingredients.
• Let liquid on pheasant cook away and then baste orange sauce over the meat.
• Simmer uncovered and baste frequently for 10-15 minutes.
• Serves 2. Great served with rice.

ORANGE-ROASTED PHEASANTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• In small bowl, stir butter, orange peel, salt, pepper, honey and green onions until well mixed.
• Place pheasants, breast sides up, in shallow roasting pan. For each pheasant, starting at the back opening, gently separate skin from breast, using fingers. Spread butter mixture on pheasant breast under skin. Secure skin to flesh with toothpick if necessary. Insert meat thermometer so tip is in thickest part of inside thigh muscle and does not touch bone.
• Bake uncovered about 45 minutes or until thermometer reads 180°F and legs move easily when lifted or twisted. Remove pheasants to serving platter; cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
• Pour orange liqueur and broth into roasting pan, scraping up browned bits from pan; pour mixture into 1-quart saucepan. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally; boil about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to 1 cup. Serve sauce with pheasants.