Serves 4 to 5

Here, pheasant is braised in white wine, garlic, and herbs, carved and served on a bed of steamed cabbage and sauteed chestnuts and cèpes. The sweet starch taste of the chestnuts gives substance, as do the meaty mushrooms. Hot braising juices, reduced with additional wine, are poured over all at the moment of serving, bathing the cabbage in pools of flavor. Fluffy, garlicky mashed potatoes are perfect for soaking up the braising juices, while an array of pickles and chutneys adds a spicy note. A green salad of butter lettuce, dressed with a vinaigrette of fruity olive oil, shallots, and red wine vinegar completes the menu.

2 pheasants with giblets, about 2 1/2 pounds each
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 celery stalks
6 fresh thyme sprigs
3 fresh marjoram or oregano sprigs
3 cups dry white wine
1 pound fresh cèpe, shiitake, or portobello mushrooms
2 pounds chestnuts, roasted and shelled
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 large head cabbage, sliced 1/2 inch thick (about 4 cups)
1/4 cup water

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F.

Chop the giblets and put them in a saucepan with salted water to cover. Place over medium heat, bring to a steady simmer, cover, and cook until tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain, and set aside.

Rub the pheasants with 3/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Place the birds, breast side up, on a rack in a roasting pan just large enough to hold them, and add the garlic, celery, thyme, marjoram or oregano, and 2 cups of the wine. Cover, place in the oven, and bake until the juice of the pheasant runs clear when pierced with the tip of a knife at the base of the thigh, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

About 15 minutes before the pheasants are ready, prepare the mushroom-chestnut mixture. Cut the mushrooms (including stems) and the chestnuts into l/2-inch pieces. In a skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and saute, turning them often, until they change color and begin to release their juices, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, the chestnuts, and the drained giblets. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 3 or 4 minutes to heat through and blend the flavors. Add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and keep warm. Place the cabbage on a steamer rack above boiling water, cover the steamer, and steam until wilted and tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the steamer and keep warm.

Remove the pheasants from the roasting pan. Using a slotted spoon, remove and discard the vegetables from the pan. Carve the breast meat into slices and cut off the legs. Set aside and keep warm. Add the remaining 1 cup of wine and the water to the juices in the pan and place over high heat. Deglaze the pan by scraping up any browned bits clinging to the bottom, and cook until the liquid is reduced to 1 cup.

Make a bed of the cabbage on a warmed platter and top with the mushroom-chestnut mixture (reheated, if necessary). Arrange the sliced pheasant and legs over the top. Pour the hot reduced juices over all and serve immediately.