Go wild with this pan-roasted pheasant dish

In this special weekly feature, “Today” food editor Phil Lempert brings you recipes “stolen” (with permission) from notable restaurants across America. See how much fun you can have (and money you can save) by cooking these dishes at home.

THIS WEEK: Pan-Roasted Breast of Wild Pheasant (with marinated wild mushrooms, pistachio bread, raw chocolate molé sauce and chipotle oil) 

It’s holiday season, and that means lots of cooking for some of us. If you're looking for something different and exotic to try out on your visiting relatives and friends, or even for Christmas Eve dinner, check out this recipe for Pan-Roasted Breast of Wild Pheasant from South Beach restaurant Afterglo. Molé is a Mexican spicy chocolate sauce (not a dessert sauce) that is served with chicken, turkey or, in this case, wild pheasant.  Remember, you can always substitute chicken for the wild pheasant if you like. 

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About the chef: You’d be hard-pressed to find a rack of lamb purer than the cuts chef Michael Schwartz prepares. The same can be said for the other dishes Schwartz creates at Afterglo, a South Beach restaurant pioneering in innovative cuisine designed to beautify the body inside and out, by creating cellular health in our bodies. Afterglo’s beauty cuisine concept calls for more than using organic products, it also means creating entire entrées using the most natural foods and spices the world has to offer. Schwartz says, "This concept requires me to rethink the way I source, receive, treat and prepare food."

Conceived by South Beach restaurateur Tim Hogle, beauty cuisine hinges upon three key ideas: scientific parameters, a strict food sourcing plan and inventive yet gentle cooking techniques. For Schwartz and Hogle, fashioning the concept into beautifying and appetizing entrées required careful experimentation and study into the identification of foods that contained beautifying elements, such as anti-inflammatory foods, and enzymes and antioxidants that regenerate cells, increase brain power, help digestion and promote radiant beauty.

While uncovering each food’s beautifying elements posed a formidable challenge for the two, locating the ingredients in their most pristine form proved even more daunting. "We are featuring meats from wild game that thrive on their natural diet because they contain a higher level of Omega-3 essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals than domesticated product,” Schwartz said. “We are emphasizing fresh and locally grown organic ingredients, rather than shipping ingredients in from across the country.”

Schwartz has had to develop inventive techniques to obtain the maximum flavor and retain the beautifying nutrients of the wild seafood and game and organic vegetable dishes, which are often destroyed through conventional cooking. For Schwartz, a chef who has served as owner and chef of South Beach restaurants Nemo, Big Pink and Shoji Sushi, this culinary venture is distinctly different from anything he has ever attempted before. “Beauty cuisine extends beyond the four walls of this restaurant,” Schwartz said. “We haven’t just created a restaurant, we’re establishing a lifestyle.”

Pan Roasted Breast of Wild Pheasant is served at Afterglo for $35.00. This recipe is meant to serve 6.

6 pheasant breasts

Molé Sauce Ingredients
1 dried guajillo chile
1 dried chipotle
2 large medjool dates
1-1/2 ounces raisins
1 small roma tomato
1 large shallot
2 teaspoons raw almond butter
5 ounces chocolate almond fudge (see recipe)
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup carrot juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch ground cardamom
1 teaspoon celtic salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Chipotle Oil Ingredients
2 dried chipotle
1 cup grape seed oil                              

Chocolate Almond Fudge Ingredients
1 cup almond butter
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1-1/2 teaspoons nama shoyu (raw soy sauce)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Marinated Wild Mushrooms Ingredients
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon agave syrup
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 pound assorted wild mushrooms cut into 1/4-inch pieces
Celtic salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pistachio Bread Ingredients
1 pound raw pistachio
6 large medjool dates

Plating Ingredient
Arugula leaves

Steal This Recipe® Step-by-step Instructions

Chocolate Almond Fudge in Molé Sauce Instructions
1) Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth

Molé Sauce Instructions
1) In a stainless steel bowl combine dried chile, dates and raisins, cover with warm water and soak for 2 to 3 hours.
2) Drain the water and place the mixture in a high speed blender.
3) Add remaining ingredients and process until smooth.
4) Set aside.

Chipotle Oil Instructions
1) Soak the chipotle in warm water for 2 to 3 hours.
2) Drain and pat dry with a paper towel.
3) In a high speed blender, combine the oil and chile and process for 1 minute.
4) Strain through cheesecloth.

Marinated Wild Mushrooms Instructions
1) Wisk together all the ingredients, except for the mushrooms, in a small bowl.
2) Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3) Place the wild mushrooms in another bowl and pour the marinade over the top.
4) Marinate for 1 hour.

Pistachio Bread Instructions
1) Soak the pistachios in water for 4 to 6 hours.
2) In a food processor, combine the nuts and dates and process until smooth.
3) Spread the mixture evenly on two nonstick drying sheets.
4) Cover with plastic wrap and roll evenly with a rolling pin about 1/8-inch thick.
5) Place in a dehydrator at 115 degrees for 2 to 3 hours.
6) With a pizza cutter, cut into 1-inch by 4-inch rectangles.
7) Keep at room temperature.

Assembly Instructions
1) Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat.
2) Season the pheasant breasts with salt and pepper, and sauté skin-side down in grape seed oil over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes.
3) Turn breasts over and continue cooking for an additional 4 to 5 minutes.
4) Remove from pan and allow the pheasant to rest while plating the other components.
5) Arrange the pistachio bread on the center of 6 plates.
6) Arrange the mushrooms, arugula and molé sauce on plates.
7) Slice the pheasant breasts and place on top of the pistachio bread.
8) Drizzle chipotle oil for garnish.

Only on TODAY.MSNBC.com! Food Editor Phil Lempert brings you the latest news and advice about shopping and cooking. LAST WEEK: Start your day with down-home soul food GO TO ALL FOOD WEDNESDAY COLUMNS

Afterglo
1200 Washington Avenue
Miami Beach,FL 33139
305-695-1717
www.afterglo-restaurant.com

Want to nominate your favorite restaurant dish for a "Steal This Recipe" feature? Just e-mail Phil at (or use the mail box below) with the name of the restaurant, city and state, and the dish you would like to have re-created. Want to know more about Phil and food? Visit his Web site at www.supermarketguru.com.

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