Ingredients for the Known Ground reconstruction
Ingredient amounts shown for 4 servings.
Known Ground reconstruction
- 1young whole pheasant, patted dry
- 3 ozunsalted butter or fresh pork fat, softened
- 1 ozfresh truffle peelings, finely chopped; optional
- 6thin bacon slices
- 1lemon, halved and trimmed
- 4 cupspotato chips, for serving
- 1 cupbread sauce, or 1 cup breadcrumbs fried in butter
- 1/2 cupgame stock, for gravy
- kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Known Ground reconstruction
The historical instruction that roasting birds be 'high' is omitted as unsafe aging guidance. Butter is the source-authorized alternative to fresh pork fat. This version has not been personally tested by Known Ground. Cook the bird and any poultry forcemeat to 165°F (74°C) in its thickest portion.
Instructions
1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Mix the softened butter or pork fat with optional truffle peelings and place it in the pheasant cavity. Season the bird and cover the breast and legs with bacon.
2. Roast on a rack, basting with the rendered fat, until the thickest portion reaches 165°F (74°C). Remove the bacon near the end if needed to colour the skin.
3. Rest the bird for 10 minutes. Deglaze the roasting pan with game stock, retaining some of the flavorful fat as Escoffier directs, and strain into a sauceboat.
4. Serve with the two trimmed lemon halves, potato chips, gravy, and either bread sauce or butter-fried breadcrumbs.
Historical formula
Method
Everything I said in the preceding chapter concerning the classification of feathered game applies in this instance.
All birds intended for roasting should be young, plump, and fat. They should also be high in the case of pheasants, partridges, and the various kinds of woodcock and snipe.
A pheasant for roasting should always be covered with slices of bacon.
An excellent practice which greatly improves the bird is that of stuffing it with a piece of fresh pork fat, pounded with peelings of fresh truffles, if possible.
Instead of well-pounded fresh pork fat, an equal weight of fresh butter may be used.
This fatty substance impregnates the meat when it melts, and keeps the bird from becoming dry while cooking. The method also applies to partridge. Roast pheasant is generally accompanied by two trimmed half-lemons and a dish of potato chips. The gravy, which should be fat, is served in a sauceboat, and bread sauce or some bread-crumbs fried in butter are sent at the same time.
Source
A Guide to Modern Cookery — Recipe no. 1969.
Updated since publication
Last revised 8/21/2026. Evidence and limitations should be interpreted as described in the article.
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