Wrap It In Bacon

A week of firsts.  The Goob got his first hunting license.  A one day bird license.  I could only be more surprised if he had ridden his bike to hunt the pheasants. 

This presented another first.   Cooking pheasant.   (Thanks to the STP I didn't have to clean the pheasant and I have new feathers in my fly tying arsenal.) 
And I just wish Mary Baron could see me now. 

Everything I know about roasting a pheasant I learned from the internet.  And I learned a lot.  For instance, I learned how to bard the bird. 

For your benefit, I will explain bard.  Bard was formerly a person who composed and recited epic or heroic poems, often while playing the harp, lyre, or the like.  Bard can be ornamental armor for a horse, or a Celtic Poet, or a piece of larding bacon or pork fat placed on game or lean meat during roasting to prevent drying out.
So I recited all the Celtic poems I know (which amounted to a man going up a hill with all the strawberries) while I wrapped the birds in bacon.  And put them in the roaster breast side down.  And then I photographed it.

Because this was either going to be really good or really bad.
I adjusted the bird and the oven temperature a couple of times and then I put the bird in a tent. 

And while it rested I made rosemary roasted potatoes and a spinach salad.  The anticipation was building along with the aroma of bacon.   The dog could hardly wait.

The recipe online also suggested I serve it with a rustic bread and a light dessert. Really?  I mean some people must have nothing better to do than cook.  All I can say is good thing pheasant season is not in the summer. 

In conclusion, any meal which includes a pound of bacon gets 4 stars in our house.