Pheasant: The Nasty Bits on Toast

I bought pheasant from the Union Square farmer's market on Saturday and was very happy to find the bag of "nasty bits" in the cavity of the bird. It turns out the heart, gizzard, and liver on toast were the tastiest bits of the whole bird. The pheasant turned out crispy and flavorful, but very chewy and tough.

I simply sauteed the heart, gizzard, liver in butter and olive oil and seasoned them with salt and pepper. Then I served them simply on toast and paired the delicious appetizer with a burgundy (Gilles et Jean Lafouge 2007 Auxey-Duresses 1er Cru Les Duresses). The whole thing was magic: a little gamey, rich, pheasanty and a perfect balance to the light to medium bodied Lafouge.