Place the pheasant and all the stock ingredients in a pot and add enough water to submerge everything. Bring to the boil.
Simmer for 30 minutes then check the pheasant is cooked by piercing the inside of the leg to see if the juices run clear. When they do, turn off the heat and leave the pheasant to sit in the stock for 10 minutes.
Remove the pheasant and let it cool. Drain out the vegetables and reserve the stock for use in the soup. If you have more than 1.5 litres, boil it for a while to reduce it. If you don’t have 1.5 litres, add a little water.
When the pheasant is cool enough, remove the meat and shred it using two forks to pull the meat in opposite directions. Set aside.
Pour a glug or two of vegetable oil into a pan. Heat and fry the onion and celery until soft.
Add the carrot and leek and cook for a minute.
Add the wine and bubble for a couple of minutes.
Add the stock, rice, bay leaves and pheasant. Cook for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the bacon until crisp. Pour off any excess fat and add the prunes and cook until heated through.
Once the soup is ready, season to taste and serve immediately, topped with the parsley, bacon and prunes.