_Choosing and Trussing_.--Old pheasants may be known by the length and
sharpness of their spurs; in young ones they are short and blunt. The
cock bird is generally reckoned the best, except when the hen is with
egg. They should hang some time before they are dressed, as, if they are
cooked fresh, the flesh will be exceedingly dry and tasteless. After the
bird is plucked and drawn, wipe the inside with a damp cloth, and truss
it in the same manner as partridge, No. 1039. If the head is left on, as
shown in the engraving, bring it round under the wing, and fix it on to
the point of the skewer.
[Illustration: ROAST PHEASANT.]
_Mode_.--Roast it before a brisk fire, keep it well basted, and flour
and froth it nicely. Serve with brown gravy, a little of which should be
poured round the bird, and a tureen of bread sauce. 2 or 3 of the
pheasant's best tail-feathers are sometimes stuck in the tail as an
ornament; but the fashion is not much to be commended.--See coloured
plate, F1.
_Time_.--1/2 to 1 hour, according to the size.
_Average cost_, 2s. 6d. to 3s. each. _Sufficient_,--1 for a dish.
_Seasonable_ from the 1st of October to the beginning of February.
[Illustration: THE PHEASANT.]
THE PHEASANT.--This beautiful bird is said to have been
discovered by the Argonauts on the banks of the Phasis, near
Mount Ararat, in their expedition to Colchis. It is common,
however, in almost all the southern parts of the European
continent, and has been long naturalized in the warmest and most
woody counties of England. It is very common in France; indeed,
so common as to be esteemed a nuisance by the farmers. Although
it has been domesticated, this is not easily accomplished, nor
is its flesh so palatable then as it is in the wild state. Mr.
Ude says--"It is not often that pheasants are met with
possessing that exquisite taste which is acquired only by long
keeping, as the damp of this climate prevents their being kept
as long as they are in other countries. The hens, in general,
are the most delicate. The cocks show their age by their spurs.
They are only fit to be eaten when the blood begins to run from
the bill, which is commonly six days or a week after they have
been killed. The flesh is white, tender, and has a good flavour,
if you keep it long enough; if not, it is not much different
from that of a common fowl or hen."
BRILLAT SAVARIN'S RECIPE FOR ROAST PHEASANT, a la Sainte Alliance.