Pheasant Ballotine, Stuffed with Bacon and Aromatic Filling

• pheasants, ready for roasting↗2
• soft butter25 г
• smoked bacon strips↗12
• onion↗1

  finely chopped

• butter↗2 ч. л.
• dried prunes↗50 г

  soaked in 3 tbsp brandy

• sausage meat↗400 г

  from 6 whole sausages

• thyme leaves↗2 ст. л.
• parsley↗

  coarsely chopped, large handful

• pistachios↗25 г
• fresh breadcrumbs↗25 г

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the stuffing. In a dry pan, sauté the finely chopped onion in 2 tsp butter for 5‑10 minutes until soft and translucent. Let it cool. In a large bowl combine the sausage meat, brandy‑soaked dried prunes, thyme leaves, chopped parsley, pistachios, fresh breadcrumbs, add the cooled onion, season with salt and pepper to taste, then mix thoroughly.

2. 2

   If the wings are still attached, cut them off at the first joint. Locate the wishbone between the neck and breast, carefully cut around it with a sharp knife, remove the bone whole, and set it aside.

3. 3

   Place the pheasant breast‑side down on a cutting board. Using a sharp boning knife, cut the skin down to the backbone along the length of the bird.

4. 4

   Slowly run the knife along the breastbone, keeping it close to the bone, and remove the meat from both sides. When you reach the thigh joints, bend them and separate.

5. 5

   Carefully cut off the main body, avoiding cutting the thinnest skin.

6. 6

   Open the bird, spreading it like a book, and place it skin‑side down on the board.

7. 7

   Season the meat with salt and pepper, then spread half of the stuffing in the center, forming a sausage‑shaped roll.

8. 8

   Roll the pheasant up, lifting the sides and enclosing the stuffing. Repeat the process with the second pheasant.

9. 9

   Wrap each pheasant tightly with strips of smoked bacon so that the bacon completely encircles the bird and meets underneath.

10. 10

    Tie the pheasant with kitchen twine: first bind it around the width, then once along the length, to keep the stuffing inside.

11. 11

    Tie the legs together. The pheasant can be prepared ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator for up to a day.

12. 12

    Preheat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C/ gas 6). Transfer the pheasant to a roasting pan, roast for 45‑50 minutes, basting regularly with the pan juices. Then cover with foil and let rest for 15 minutes. Serve in thick slices, drizzled with the remaining sauce.