| 1 | Preheat oven to 450 deg. |
| 2 | Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large roasting pan. |
| 3 | Stir in onion, celery, carrots, bay leaves and 1 tablespoon herbs de provence. |
| 4 | Top with pheasant giblets, necks, chicken wings and backs. |
| 5 | Roast until well browned, turning frequently, about 40 minutes. |
| 6 | Reduce oven temperature to 375 deg. |
| 7 | meanwhile, make herb butter by mixing 1 cup butter with 1 tablespoon herbs de provence. |
| 8 | Pat pheasants dry inside and out. |
| 9 | Loosen breast skin on each by gently sliding fingers under neck flap and down between breast meat and skin, being careful not to tear skin. |
| 10 | Spread 1 ?tablespoons herb butter evenly over breast under skin of each. |
| 11 | Sprinkle each cavity with salt and pepper. |
| 12 | Place 2 tablespoons herb butter into each cavity. |
| 13 | Truss pheasants to hold shape. |
| 14 | Arrange on sides atop vegetable mixture in roasting pan. |
| 15 | Roast 15 minutes, basting frequently with pan juices. |
| 16 | Turn on second side and roast 15 minutes, basting frequently. |
| 17 | Turn pheasants breast side up. |
| 18 | Add madeira to pan and continue roasting until juices run pale pink when thickest part of thigh is pierced, basting frequently, about 15 minutes. |
| 19 | Transfer pheasants to platter and discard string. |
| 20 | Tent with foil. |
| 21 | add broth to roasting pan. |
| 22 | Boil until reduced to 3 cups liquid, scraping up any browned bits, about 6 minutes. |
| 23 | Strain sauce and degrease. |
| 24 | Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy small saucepan over low heat. |
| 25 | Add flour and stir 3 minutes. |
| 26 | Whisk in sauce in thin stream. |
| 27 | Simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently. |
| 28 | Adjusting seasoning. |
| 29 | Pour into bowl. |
| 30 | Garnish pheasant with parsley. |
| 31 | Pass sauce separately. |
| 32 | *available at specialty foods stores. |
| 33 | (ouida & vince kelly) (c) 1987 bon appetit publishing corp. |
| 34 | compliments of fred peters |
