Try to order your pheasants from a butcher that has hung them for a minimum of 6-7 days. Look for a rich, soft and fruity wine to serve – say a Pinot Noir from the Côte de Nuits, or one of the very good wines from Bread and onion sauce. Turn the pheasants onto their breast side to colour for a further 2-3 minutes. 30 minutes, turning halfway through cooking time.
Spoon out the fat from the pan and add the wine, port, juniper and thyme into the roasting pan. On a high heat quickly cook until the volume of liquid has reduced by one third. Scrape the caramelised juices off the bottom of the pan to make the jus. Strain and reserve in a warmed jug. For the bread sauce, in a small saucepan on a low heat gently heat the butter and fry the onion with the herbs, crushed cloves and salt for two minutes, or until soft. Add the bacon lardons and continue to cook uncovered for one minute.
Add the milk, bring to a simmer and stir in the pieces of bread until the sauce is smooth. To serve, carve the pheasant and serve it over a mound of bread sauce with the jus poured over. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Classic bread sauce is a British classic perfect with any white meat, but especially Christmas turkey! It can easily be made ahead of time too, win-win. Add the bay leaf, peppercorns and milk.