Wine-Marinated Pheasant

Ingredients

1 small onion, thinly sliced

3/4 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup lime juice or lemon juice

2 tablespoons cooking oil

1/2 teaspoon dried savory, crushed

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon bottled hot pepper sauce

2 1/2 pounds pheasant

1 tablespoon butter

4 teaspoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons snipped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

For marinade, in a small bowl combine onion, wine, lime/lemon juice, oil, savory, salt and hot pepper sauce. Set aside.

Place pheasant in a large plastic bag set into a deep bowl. Pour marinade over pheasant in bag. Close bag; turn pheasant to coat well. Marinate in the refrigerator for 6 to 24 hours, turning bag occasionally. Remove pheasant from bag, reserving marinade.

Tie legs to tail with string. Twist wing tips under back. Place pheasant, breast side up, on a rack with shallow roasting pan. Cover pheasant with foil, leaving air space between bird and foil. Lightly press the foil to the ends of drumsticks and neck to enclose bird.

Roast in a 350 degree F oven for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. After one hour of roasting, remove foil and cut the string between drumsticks.

Continue roasting until drumsticks move easily in their sockets and juices run clear (internal temperature of 180 degrees- check the thigh in several places)

Meanwhile, strain marinate, reserving 1/2 cup. In a medium saucepan melt butter; stir in the flour. Add the reserved 1/2 cup marinade and the chicken broth. Cook until thickened and bubbly; cook and stir one minute more. Stir in parsley. Season to taste with black pepper and serve over pheasant.