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apricots white wine Grand Marnier lime juice sugar pheasants freshly ground black pepper thyme bay leaves vegetable oil dates thyme DArtagnan
Viewed: 69 - Published at: 5 years agoIngredients
- 1/2 cup dried apricots
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cup Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from about 2 large limes)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- two 2 1/2- to 3-pound pheasants (preferably wild Scottish)*
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme, crumbled
- 2 bay leaves
- vegetable oil for brushing pheasants
- 1/2 cup pitted dates, chopped
- Garnish: fresh thyme sprigs
- *available at some butcher shops and by mail order from D'Artagnan, tel.(800)327-8246 or (201) 792-0748
Method
- In a small heatproof bowl cover apricots with boiling water and soak 10 minutes.
- Drain apricots and cut into quarters.
- In a small saucepan simmer wine, liqueur, lime juice, and sugar 5 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Cut off legs of pheasants and reserve for another use.
- Sprinkle pheasants inside and out with pepper and salt to taste.
- Put 1 teaspoon thyme and 1 bay leaf in cavity of each pheasant and close cavities with skewers or toothpicks so that pheasants hold their shape.
- Brush pheasants with oil and in a roasting pan arrange, breast side down.
- Roast pheasants 20 minutes and discard any fat in roasting pan.
- Turn pheasants over and to pan add apricots, wine mixture, and dates.
- Roast pheasants, adding about 1/2 cup water if all liquid evaporates, 25 minutes more, or until thermometer inserted in thickest part of breast registers 160F.
- Let pheasants stand 10 minutes.
- Transfer pheasants to a cutting board and cut each in half.
- Serve pheasants with apricot date sauce and garnish with thyme.
