Pheasant, cooked, total edible

Pheasant is a game bird with lean, firm meat and a flavor often described as a milder version of other dark poultry, closer to chicken than to stronger game like venison. It's commonly roasted whole for a special occasion, braised to keep the lean meat from drying out, or worked into stews and pates, and it pairs well with fruit-based sauces like apple or cranberry, along with root vegetables, mushrooms, and wine reductions that complement its subtle flavor without overwhelming it.

Because pheasant is lean, it benefits from moist cooking methods such as braising, or barding with strips of fat during roasting, to keep it from drying out in the oven the way a fattier bird would tolerate. Cooked pheasant should be refrigerated and eaten within a few days, or the meat can be picked from the bones and frozen for later use in soups or salads. At 239 calories per 100g with 32.4g of protein, about 65% of the Daily Value, it's a lean protein to build a meal around, with sodium naturally low at 43mg per 100g and no carbohydrate, fiber, or sugar in the cooked meat itself, leaving the accompanying sauce or side to supply any starch or sweetness in the meal.