Pheasant recipe from the 16th century

In the book The Art of Cooking by Janos Kesey from 1680, the pheasant prepared according to this recipe was mentioned as the favorite dish of Anna Bornemisze, the princess of Transylvania and the wife of Prince Michael Apaffi. We allowed ourselves only one liberty - replaced the molasses with sugar.

Ingredients

• 1 carcass of a pheasant;
• 2 oranges;
• 1 lemon;
• 70 milliliters of olive oil;
• 200 milliliters of dry red wine;
• 100 grams of sugar
• 50 milliliters of wine vinegar;
• salt and black pepper to taste;
• 20 grams of fresh rosemary;
• 1 teaspoon ground saffron

Directions

1. Rinse the pheasant carcass, divide it in half, place in a pickling container. Season with salt and pepper, season with fresh rosemary, drizzle with olive oil, tighten with cling film and leave in the refrigerator for a day.
2. Peel oranges and lemons, cut into wedges, remove seeds. Mix wine with sugar, saffron and vinegar, heat over low heat until slightly thickened. Remember to stir the sauce so that the sugar does not burn.
3. Saute the marinated pheasant, starting from the breast side until golden brown. Add orange and lemon slices to the baking tray, pour in a little water, place the bird on top and top with the wine sauce.
4. Cook in the oven at 180 ° C for about 40 minutes covered, then 15-20 minutes without the lid.
5. When the bird has cooled down a little, divide it into portions, serve with stewed cabbage, garnished with orange slices.