Pheasant with Mushrooms and Wild Rice

Cook wild rice according to package instructions and drain.

Rinse pheasants and pat dry. Cut breasts from bone and season pheasant with salt inside and out. Coat breasts with 30 grams (approximately 2 tablespoons) of softed butter and cover with slices of bacon, then place back on pheasant.

Preheat the oven to 250°F (approximately 475°F). Meanwhile, soak mushrooms 3/4 liter (approximately 3 cups) of lukewarm water. Peel onions and 200 grams (approximately 1 cup) of carrots. Chop coarsely and add with pheasants to a pan. Roast on middle shelf of oven for 15 minutes, then remove the breasts and set aside. Cook rest of pheasant for another 15 minutes.

Chop carcass and breast bone coarsely and add to a pot with bay leaves and pepper. Deglaze roasting pan with white wine an d pour carrots and onions over bones. Add game stock and mushroom soaking water. Cook for 1 hour uncovered in an open pot, then strain through cheesecloth and boil for an additional 1 1/2 hours.

Meanwhile, peel shallots and remaining carrots and cut into slices. Rinse thyme, shake dry and pluck leaves from stems. Sauté shallots and carrot in remaining butter. Dust with flour, stir into pheasant sauce and boil.

Season with salt, pepper and 1/2 of thyme. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes over low heat.

Cut pheasant breasts in slices. Leave drumsticks whole.

Season sauce again. Place pheasant meat and drumsticks into sauce and slowly heat. Sprinkle with remaining thyme.