Pheasant casserole  
While roast pheasant is an extremely good dish, it's not often I can be bothered to pluck and draw a pheasant, and buying them already drawn from a shop seems a little extreme. So I like to hang them for 3 - 4 days in spring or autumn, or a week in winter, then skin them and fillet the breast meat off. Lay the beast on its back, then with a sharp knife just split the skin along the breast bone, without cutting into the meat below, and the skin can be peeled off, right round the back and down to its ankles and wrists. Cut off the feet and the first joint of the wings. With a stiff boning knife, cut the legs and wings off, getting as much of the meat close to the body as you can. Fillet off the breast meat, and take out the neck, and dispose of the rest. The neck, calves and second wing joints can go in the stock pot, the breasts and 4 thigh joints will make an excellent casserole.

Breasts and thighs of 1 - 2 pheasants
Rashers of bacon, smoked if preferred
Carrots & celery
Medium floury potato
½ pint pheasant stock
Salt, peppercorns.

Wrap each joint of pheasant in bacon, and squeeze them into a heavy pan or casserole. Chop the potato up finely, so that it will break down completely during cooking, add 2 - 3 chopped sticks of celery, and 2 medium chopped carrots, warm the stock and pour it over. Add just enough boiling water to show through the vegetables on top, then add a dozen whole peppercorns, a bay leaf (if you like them, personally, I don't) and a dash of salt. A squeeze of lemon juice or a slosh of red wine might go in too, if you wish. Bring to a fast-ish boil and skim off the froth, then turn down the heat, cover, and simmer gently (or put in the oven at 160 °C) for a couple of hours, adding a little more salt to taste.