The Wild Pheasant Deserves Profound Veneration

("The wild pheasant deserves profound veneration." From the first issue of Gourmet, January 1941. Via Serious Eats.)

Our not-so-bear-proof garbage hut is under repair, and we're praying that two hefty locks, sprayed bleach and ammonia-soaked rags will keep our trash off the road. I won't hold my breath; If I was a bear, I'd want my trash too.

In other wild life news, a pheasant went meandering across our lawn this morning. Every once in a while one manages to escape from the shooting club down the road. I cheer every bird who makes it up here, and I certainly won't be the one to end his life.  (If his plumage can be trusted, he is indeed a "he.") Still, I couldn't help wondering what I would do with this pretty bird if I wanted to put him on my table.

Here's a suggestion from Season to Taste, Peggy Harvey's irresistible cookbook, written in 1958. Should you happen to have a pheasant on hand, you might try this.