Pheasant is a small bird with a delicate flavor that’s richer than chicken. We roast apples and shallots in the pan along with the bird, then toss them with cooked wheat berries for a delicious whole-grain side.

Makes 4 servings, 3 ounces pheasant & 1 1/4 cups salad each

ACTIVE TIME: 35 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 2 hours

EASE OF PREPARATION: Moderate

1 1/4 cups wheat berries (see Ingredient Note)
2 medium Gala apples, peeled and cut into eighths
2 cups halved peeled shallots (10-12 small shallots)
1 tablespoon walnut oil or canola oil
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
1 3-pound pheasant (see Sources)
1 1/2 cups apple cider
One 4-inch cinnamon stick

1. Place wheat berries in a large saucepan and add water to cover them by 2 inches. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat; reduce heat, cover and simmer gently until tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375°F.
3. Toss apples, shallots, oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Remove giblets (if included) from pheasant. Loosen the skin over the breast and thigh meat and rub the remaining salt and pepper under the skin; place the pheasant, breast-side down, on top of the apple mixture. Roast for 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, bring cider and cinnamon stick to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Boil until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat; discard the cinnamon stick.
5. After 30 minutes, turn the bird over and baste with a couple tablespoons of the reduced cider, stirring it into the apple mixture. Continue roasting, basting with reduced cider every 15 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh without touching bone registers 165°F, 40 to 50 minutes more.
6. Transfer the pheasant to a cutting board; let rest for 10 minutes before carving. Transfer the apple mixture to a large bowl. Stir in the reserved wheat berries and any accumulated pheasant juices. Serve the pheasant with the wheat berry salad.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 533 calories; 8 g fat (2 g sat, 2 g mono); 75 mg cholesterol; 80 g carbohydrate; 37 g protein; 9 g fiber; 633 mg sodium; 655 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (28% daily value), Iron & Vitamin A (25% dv), Potassium (19% dv).
5 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 3 starch, 2 fruit, 4 medium-fat meat

TIP: Ingredient Note: Wheat berries are the whole, unprocessed grains of wheat. Find them in natural-foods markets and online at kingarthurflour.com.

Sources: Find pheasant in well-stocked supermarkets, specialty butchers or at dartagnan.com.

This was excellent and easy! I may never eat chicken again. The pheasant is much more flavorful. And the wheatberry salad was also wonderful. Quick, easy, elegant dinner. I can't wait to try the quail recipe in this issue.

Kate, King of Prussia, PA