Bacon-wrapped roast pheasant with white wine

Tip: tap a step to mark it as done.

1. Prepare the pheasant

   Pat the pheasant dry inside and out with paper towels; do not wash it. Season with salt and pepper, then place a quarter of an apple, a sprig of thyme, and half the juniper berries in the cavity.

2. Wrap with bacon

   Cover the breast and thighs with the bacon slices and tie the legs together with kitchen twine to help the pheasant hold its shape during roasting.

3. Roast covered

   Place the onion and remaining apples, cut into wedges, in a roasting pan with the remaining juniper berries and thyme. Set the pheasant on top, breast-side up, add the butter in pieces, and pour in the wine and broth. Cover and roast in an oven preheated to 180 °C (350 °F) for 45 minutes.

4. Finish roasting until golden

   Uncover the pheasant and roast for another 20 to 30 minutes until golden brown, basting with the pan juices. It is done when the thickest part of the thigh reaches at least 74 °C (165 °F) and the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced.

5. Serve

   Let the pheasant rest for 10 minutes, remove the twine, and cut it in half. Serve with the pan juices, roasted apples, and onion. Braised red cabbage and sliced Slovak steamed bread dumplings make good accompaniments.

Tip: Remove the bacon slices from the breast about 15 minutes before the end of roasting so the skin underneath has time to brown, and serve the bacon as a crispy accompaniment.

This recipe was translated from the Slovak original: Pečený bažant so slaninou na bielom víne