Instructions: Place pheasants, onions, celery and garlic in a large roasting pan. Top with diced bacon. Place in a 375 degree oven and roast for 1 hour or until pheasants are evenly browned. Remove from oven, allow to cool and pull meat from pheasant breasts. Save breast meat.

Cut carcasses into 4 smaller pieces and place in a large stockpot with roasted vegetables. Cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 hours, stirring contents occasionally and keeping water level high enough to just cover contents. Remove pheasant pieces with tongs and pour remaining liquid through a colander to remove solids.

Return liquid to pot and add bouillon, leeks, carrots, potatoes and rosemary. Add water, if necessary, so that there is about 1 1/2 quarts liquid. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer until carrots just begin to soften. Add pulled pheasant breast pieces and tomatoes. Simmer for 5 minutes more, remove rosemary and serve with warm sourdough bread.

This recipe yields 6 to 8 servings.

Comments: Too many hunters discard valuable ingredients when not using, for instance, the carcass of a pheasant to make a delicious stock or sauce. I like to roast my pheasant scraps in much the same way as is called for in this recipe. The only difference is that I simmer the bones until the broth is thick and concentrated. The liquid is then strained into ice cube trays and frozen. Once frozen, I break the cubes into a zipper lock bag and use a few at a time to add flavor to sauces, sautes and stir-frys. The stock for this soup may be made a day or two ahead or simmered at very low heat overnight.

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