Sealing in pheasant juices

My Pheasant Soup (recipe to follow) is always a crowd pleaser, and it always goes fast. I've found that one of the keys to sealing in the juioce of pheasant is to brown it first using about a tsp and a half of duck fat. I always have a good amount of duck fat in the freezer. If I were to run out of duck fat, I'd use the same amount of schmaltz (chicken fat). Not only does using these fats sear in the juices of the bird, it brings a very special extra layer of flavor to the dish, without screaming "duck!".