Chef Martin Luthi prepares
Melted Leek, Grilled Shitaki Mushrooms
Birch Syrup and Red Wine Reduction

Servings: 4   Ingredients: Pheasant Stock 4 tbsp. oil 2 carcasses pheasant bones chopped into small pieces 1 medium onion, diced 1 carrot diced 1 celery diced 20 black peppercorns 2 cloves of garlic 1 bay leaf 2 liters water   Parsnip and Corn Purée 4 tbsp. Olive Oil 150g diced parsnips 2 diced cloves garlic 1 apple peeled and diced 1 1/2 cup chicken stock Pinch of salt Pinch of sugar 1/2 cup Butter Milk Melted Leek 3 tbsp. butter 350g fresh leek cut into 1cm cubes 1 medium shallot, diced very fine Pheasant Breasts 4 pheasant breasts with frenched wing bone Salt Fresh crushed pepper 4 tbsp. Birch Syrup (or maple syrup)   Birch Syrup and red Wine Reduction 2/3 cup red wine 1/3 cup Birch Syrup (or maple) 1 chopped shallot 10 crushed peppercorns 2 cups pheasant stock 1/2 a lemon Shitaki Mushrooms 3 mushroom per serving Garnish Long slices of carrots and Basil (or Spinach leaves), 3 of each per person   Methods: Pheasant Stock Brown all bones evenly in a frying pan and place into a hot oven to brown further. After this, drain excess fat from the bones and place bones in a cooking pot. In a frying pan, sauté the vegetables, garlic, peppercorns and bay leaf and add to the bones. Deglaze both pans with 2 litres of water and add to the pot. Season with very little salt and simmer for 1 hour and strain. Parsnip and Corn Purée Sauté the vegetables, shallots and apple and add the chicken stock, sugar and salt. Simmer for twenty minutes or until tender and ready to make the purée. The liquid should be reduced completely. Use a hand blender to purée, add buttermilk and season to taste. Melted Leek Sauté the shallots and Fresh Leek with butter, season with salt and pepper, add a little chicken stock and cook until tender. Pheasant Breasts Marinate the pheasant breasts for 20 minutes before roasting with Salt, Fresh Crushed Pepper and 4 tbsp. Birch Syrup (or Maple Syrup) Brown the breasts in a non-stick pan first on medium heat and then place in the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes at 300�F. Cover the breast with foil to avoid letting the skin get too dark. Birch Syrup and Red Wine Reduction In a saucepan, combine the red wine, birch (or maple) syrup, shallots, peppercorns and reduce to 1/3rd of the original amount. Then add 2 cups of the pheasant stock and reduce by half, or until the sauce has slightly thickened. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve and set aside, keeping it warm. Shitaki Mushrooms Grill the mushrooms and keep hot. Garnish Deep-fry long slices of carrots and Basil (or spinach) leaves.   Plate presentation On a large plate, place the parsnip and corn purée in the middle of the plate and spread into a circle. Place the melted leeks in the center and the grilled mushrooms on top in a triangle. Slice each breast into four slices and arrange on top of the vegetables. Spoon 1 1/2 oz of sauce over the pheasant and around the plate. Garnish with the carrot chips and fried basil leaves.