Roasted Pennsylvania Pheasant Breast, Braised Red Cabbage, Maple Syrup Sweet Potato Mousse and Huckleberry Sauce

Serves four.

For the pheasants

4 8-ounce boneless fresh pheasant breasts (from Whole Foods or http://www.pheasant.com)
1 red cabbage
2 ounces butter
1/2 medium onion, peeled and diced
1 green apple, diced
1 glass of red wine
1 small can of whole cranberries
3 cinnamon sticks
5 cloves
Salt and pepper

Season and sauté the pheasant breasts on both sides, cooking for about nine to 10 minutes total. Set aside in a warm place.

Cut red cabbage into fine strips and sauté in a pan with butter, onions and apple until soft. Add red wine, cranberries, cinnamon sticks and cloves and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook slowly over low heat for 40 to 50 minutes, stirring every so often.

4 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 ounces butter, plus one tablespoon
1 ounce maple syrup

Boil sweet potatoes until soft. Put through a food mill or processor, add whipping cream, maple syrup and butter, and season with salt and pepper.

4 ounces huckleberries (can be frozen)
6 ounces brown veal stock (from Dean & DeLuca or Whole Foods)
1 tablespoon butter

Heat veal stock until it’s simmering, stir in the huckleberries and add one tablespoon of butter.

8 ounces assorted wild mushrooms
1 ounce butter
1 bunch green onions, finely sliced

Sauté the mushrooms in the butter until wilted and cooked through. When
plated, garnish with green onions.

Pipe or spoon sweet potato mousse in the center of each dinner plate, arrange red cabbage around, slice each pheasant breast into three and place on top of the sweet potatoes. Garnish with sautéed mushrooms and green onions. Ladle huckleberry sauce all around.

This recipe first appeared in the Northwest, Dupont, Foggy Bottom and Georgetown Current Newspapers.

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