October sees the start of pheasant season and 20 million birds will be shot between October and February in England alone! Whilst when butchered it looks a lot like chicken it is much richer and gamier in taste and a far superior bird in my opinion.
Pheasant is a very lean meat so if overcooked can quickly become dry, to avoid this make sure you use plenty of butter when cooking. I love to roasted the bird whole but you can also butcher it down confit the leg and pan roast the breast like we do in the restaurant.
If you have shot your own brace be sure to hang the bird for 4 or 5 days, preferably with the feathers still on.
Pheasant is a rich meat and matches perfectly with mature pinot noir, look at Burgundy if you want to push the boat out but you can get great versions from New Zealand, Chile and even Bulgaria at a much more affordable price range. If you wanted to go white you need something full and rich. Chardonnay works great and again Burgundy is the go-to region for this.