DIY roasted pheasant with gravy

Ingredients:

2 Pheasants, including heart, liver and neck pieces

1 lb young red potatoes, cleaned and quartered

¼ lb bacon

4 sprigs of fresh tarragon

1 lemon

2 medium sized sweet onions

1 clove of garlic

4 tbsp olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Rinse and pat dry each pheasant, including the cavities.
3. In a medium sauce pot with 1 qt of water bring the pheasant heart, liver, and necks to a boil along with 1 quartered onion.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Blanch the potatoes for approximately 10 minutes in boiling water with a dash of salt, drain and reserve to the side.
5. Slowly loosen the skin from the breast by inserting your fingers gently between the two.  Place a sprig of tarragon between each breast and the skin then pull the skin down to its original location.
6. Rub salt and pepper into the cavity of the pheasant, set aside.
7. Dice the 1/4lb of bacon and toss with olive oil, crushed garlic, the remaining onions (quartered), and potatoes.  Place these in the bottom of a shallow roasting pan.
8. Set the birds, breast side up, on top of the potatoes.  Cover the bird’s breast with aluminum foil and place in the oven.  Roast for and hour then remove the aluminum foil, basting the bird with the juices from the ban.  Continue roasting the bird until the juices run clear or a meat thermometer inserted into the breast reads 160 degrees.  Remove the bird and let stand for 10 minutes.
9. While the bird is cooling remove the gravy broth from heat and strain out the solid matter.
10. In a small tumbler mix ½ cups of flour with ½ cups water and mix thoroughly with a fork.  Once this is fully mixed add to the gravy broth and bring the mixture to a boil, whisking occasionally.   Adjust with flour or water until you reach the desired consistency for the gravy.

Transfer the pheasants to a cutting board and cut the pheasants in half directly down the breastbone.  Serve each half along with the potatoes, offering the gravy on the side in either a gravy boat or individual ramekins.  Serves 4.