This is definitely the most highfalutin recipe Adam has ever come up with.  Here’s what you’ll need, for 4 people:

Proscuitto-topped pheasant stuffed with millet and parmesan
4 pheasant breasts (we did 2 breasts + 2 thighs and gave the thighs to the kids)
1/2 – 3/4 c. cooked millet
2 T. olive oil
4 T. butter
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
1/2 bunch fresh parsley, roughly chopped
4 slices proscuitto
salt & pepper

1. Cook millet in water, remove from heat, and reserve.

2. Pound pheasant breasts flat between two pieces of plastic wrap, using a wooden meat mallet or rolling pin.

3. For each breast, peel back top layer of plastic wrap, and sprinkle on salt and pepper.  Top with about 2 T. millet, then 2 tiny pats of butter, then about 1 T. parsley.  Cover with grated parmesan and top with a slice of proscuitto.  Leave covered in plastic wrap while you finish the others.

4. In a heavy skillet over medium-low heat, melt 1 T. butter combine with 1 T. olive oil.  When the skillet is hot, carefully peel the plastic wrap from the bottom and, holding it by the top layer of plastic wrap, carefully drop it into the pan, pheasant side down.  Then quickly peel the top layer of plastic wrap from the proscuitto.  (This helps to hold it together.)  Fry for about 2-3 minutes.

5.  Carefully flip it over.  Some of the inside stuff may fall out, but just push it back in.  Cook on the proscuitto side for 1-2 minutes, then remove from pan.  Serve it proscuitto-side up, garnished with a little bit of parsley.  These are a little bit tricky, so it’s better to do them one at a time and keep first ones warm in the oven while you cook the rest.

The picture really doesn’t do this justice.  It was so good I almost cried.  Adam got his inspiration from a video of Jamie Oliver & Mark Bittman doing something similar to this with chicken breasts.  So really, you could substitute chicken or duck or some other game bird for the pheasant in this.  Adam also wants me to note that you could do all kinds of different substitutions, such as: whatever herb you like in place of parsley, or different kinds of grains (like wild rice, or quinoa).

We served it with roasted potatoes, but it is quite rich, so next time I think we’ll just do a green salad on the side.