Pheasant with Cabbage and Mustard Sauce

Ingredients
5 Tablespoons Butter (if you can get hold of clarified use that)
4 Pheasant Breasts (boneless and skinless)
425g Savoy Cabbage (shredded)
300ml Game Stock (if you can buy this or use chicken stock)
300ml Red Wine
300ml Single Cream
2 Tablespoons of Port (for that Christmas feel, or you can leave this out)
3 Tablespoons Wholegrain Mustard
50g Butter
Salt and Pepper
4 Sprigs of Any Herb to garnish

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Frying Pan
2 Large Pans

The Good Bit

1. THIS STAGE SHOULD BE DONE 3-4 MINUTES MAXIMUM BEFORE YOU ARE ABOUT TO SERVE UP, YOU MAY WANT TO PREPARE THE CABBAGE AND SAUCE IN ADVANCE. Start by melting the 5 tablespoons of butter in your frying pan, then fry the breasts over a gentle heat for 4 minutes, remove, season and set aside, the flesh should feel firm but springy to the touch and the meat should look just cooked when cut.
   
2. The sauce is easy, combine the chicken (or game if you can get it) stock with the red wine, heat in a pan and reduce by half, stir in the mustard and cream and reduce until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of your spoon when you hold it up, if it runs off cook a little longer, finally season it with salt and pepper.
3. The cabbage should be cooked and drained then toss in the 50g of butter and swill around to give a good even coating, now pile in the centre of each plate , carve the pheasant into 3-4 slices then position nicely on top, spoon over a little of the sauce, decorate with your sprig and serve
   

Serves 4

Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients
250g Cranberries (fresh are better but frozen will do)
150ml Water (you can replace all or 50% with orange juice and the zest of 1 orange for an orangey sauce)
175g Sugar
1-2 Tablespoons Port (optional but devilishly good)

Equipment
1 Large Pan
1 Wooden Spoon
1 Zester (if making the orangey version)

The Good Bit

1. Heat the water in the pan and add the sugar and bring to the boil (do the same if you are using orange juice) stir occasionally and boil for about 5 minutes.
2. Add the cranberries cover and gently simmer until all the berries have popped, once you are happy they look like they have all popped, remove the lid and simmer for a further 5 minutes to thicken.
3. Add the port if you are using and serve (the orange version with a touch of port goes very well with the Christmas turkey or a duck that is cooked and still pink inside, you can also serve with lamb)

Serves 6