Roast pheasant is best prepared with young cocks or tender hens. Since hens are very limited to hunt, depending on the laws of each state, the young cock is most likely the choice for this recipe. The birds have strong, wiry legs. This makes it difficult to cook the bird's legs until tender without drying out the lean breast meat. So covering the breast meat with bacon is the answer.

• Preheat oven to 350°F.

• Rinse and dry pheasants. Squeeze oranges all over birds and inside the cavities, too. Season with salt and pepper. Place a half-squeezed orange, 2 apple quarters, 2 onion quarters, 1 bay leaf, and 1 sprig of rosemary in each cavity. Brush each bird with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

• Place the pheasants in a roasting pan and lay 4 slices of bacon over the breast of each bird. Pour the bouillon and sherry into the pan.

• Bake for 1½ hours, basting every 20 minutes with pan juices. Remove bacon and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes to brown the breast a bit. Pheasant is done when a meat thermometer registers 160°F to 170°F in the breast. To serve, carve meat and spoon with pan drippings.

Juggling When Breast Meat Is Done vs. Leg Meat

When roasting a pheasant, the breast meat gets done before the legs can get tender. So cut off the legs and place in the pan juices, covered, and cook for an additional 30 to 60 minutes or until the meat falls off the bone. Keep the breast meat warm or reheat in the oven just before serving.