Main Ingredients:

See below ingredients and instructions of the recipe

Cooking Preparation of the Recipe:

4 Pheasants

--------------------------MARINADE-------------------------------
2 c Zinfandel
3 lg Shallots, peeled, thinly
-sliced
5 Garlic cloves, peeled,
-thinly sliced
1/2 bn Fresh thyme
3 Bay leaves, cracked
1 tb Juniper berries

---------------------------SAUCE--------------------------------
Bones from the pheasants
4 tb Olive oil
1 1/2 md Size unpeeled onions,
-quartered
1 1/2 Heads of garlic
Two 750 milliliter bottles
-Zinfandel
3 qt Strong chicken stock
6 oz Black olives (preferably
-kalamata), pitted
3 Roma tomatoes, peeled,
-seeded, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

To remove breast meat and thighs from pheasants, cut down each side
of the ridge of the breastbone with a boning knife. Scrape the knife
down the side of the breast bone and the rib cage to remove meat from
the bone. Leave wings attached. Slit the skin between the knee and
top of the breast, then slip it around to the small of the back.
Force the knee down, and soon you will see the ball joint where the
leg-thigh meets the small of the back, Cut through the knee joint.
Run tip of knife along both sides of remaining thigh bone and pull
away from the meat. A boneless thigh portion, skin-on and rather
square shaped, and a skin-on boneless breast with wing attached
remain. Reserve bones for stock. Mix marinade ingredients and pour
over pheasant. Marinate 2 to 3 hours. The sauce: Crack reserved bones
with the blunt edge of a heavy knife. Heat the olive oil in a 5-quart
stock pot until oil is smoking hot. Add bones and brown, stirring
constantly. After 10 minutes bones should begin to take on a golden
brown color. Keep stirring so ingredients don't burn. Add onions and
garlic and cook approximately 10 minutes longer, until onions and
garlic have caramelized, and the bones have browned. Spoon excess oil
from pot, and add Zinfandel, stirring to dislodge browned bits from
bottom of pot. Reduce heat to medium and cook until liquid reduces in
volume and becomes syrupy. Add chicken stock, bring to a boil, and
cook until sauce has reduced to 3 or 4 cups. Strain. Sauce should be
thick enough to coat a spoon. When ready to serve, reheat sauce with
the olives and tomatoes. Season to taste with pepper and salt. Lift
pheasant from marinade and scrape off any solids clinging to the
meat. Season with salt and pepper. Sear meat skin side down until
golden. Turn and repeat. Roast pheasant in a 400 degrees F. oven for
10 to 12 minutes. Breast meat will be finished first and should feel
plump and tender to the touch. Thigh meat must be cooked through and
will need a few more minutes to cook. Serve 1 breast and 1 thigh per
person. Drizzle olive sauce over meat.

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