Categories: Poultry, French 
      Yield: 6 servings 
  
      2 tb Unsalted butter                     4    Wings chicken 
      1    (unpeeled) coarsely chopped         2    Backs chicken 
           -onion                              1 c  Room temperature unsalted 
      3    Coarsely chopped celery                  -butter 
           -stalk                            1/4 c  Madeira 
      2    Coarsely chopped carrot             1 qt Chicken broth 
      2    Bay leaf                            1 tb Unsalted butter 
      2 tb Herbs de Provence *                 1 tb All purpose flour 
      3    Pheasants (2 to 2-1/2 lb)                Garnish sprig parsley 
  
  Preheat oven to 450 deg. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large roasting pan. 
  Stir in onion, celery, carrots, bay leaves and 1 tablespoon herbs de 
  Provence. Top with pheasant giblets, necks, chicken wings and backs. Roast 
  until well browned, turning frequently, about 40 minutes. Reduce oven 
  temperature to 375 deg. 
   
  Meanwhile, make herb butter by mixing 1 cup butter with 1 tablespoon herbs 
  de Provence. Pat pheasants dry inside and out. Loosen breast skin on each 
  by gently sliding fingers under neck flap and down between breast meat and 
  skin, being careful not to tear skin. Spread 1 1/2 tablespoons herb butter 
  evenly over breast under skin of each. Sprinkle each cavity with salt and 
  pepper. Place 2 tablespoons herb butter into each cavity. Truss pheasants 
  to hold shape. Arrange on sides atop vegetable mixture in roasting pan. 
  Roast 15 minutes, basting frequently with pan juices. Turn on second side 
  and roast 15 minutes, basting frequently. Turn pheasants breast side up. 
  Add Madeira to pan and continue roasting until juices run pale pink when 
  thickest part of thigh is pierced, basting frequently, about 15 minutes. 
  Transfer pheasants to platter and discard string. Tent with foil. 
   
  Add broth to roasting pan. Boil until reduced to 3 cups liquid, scraping up 
  any browned bits, about 6 minutes. Strain sauce and degrease. Melt 1 
  tablespoon butter in heavy small saucepan over low heat. Add flour and stir 
  3 minutes. Whisk in sauce in thin stream. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring 
  frequently. Adjusting seasoning. Pour into bowl. Garnish pheasant with 
  parsley. Pass sauce separately. 
   
  *Available at specialty foods stores. 
   
  (Ouida & Vince Kelly) (C) 1987 Bon Appetit Publishing Corp. 
   
  Compliments of Fred Peters