The squab from last week was so tasty yet so expensive that I decided to experiment the same recipe with quail as a cheaper replacement. I have also jazzed it up this time with some pickled pine mushroom to give it a bit more acidity, Jerusalem artichoke chips for an added texture, and finally soft boiled quail eggs for the creaminess. It was as awesome as quail gets, but it was no squab.
Difficulty: Medium
Time: 30min prep, 2.5 hrs cooking
Serves: 2
Ingredients
Quail
- leg and breast from 4 quails
- salt
- pepper
- olive oil
Quail Jus
- quail carcasses chopped into small pieces
- 1.5 cup beef stock
- 1.5 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup onion chopped
- 1/2 cup carrot chopped
- 1/2 cup leek chopped
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1/4 tsp coriander powder
- 1/4 tsp all spice
- 1/4 tsp five spice powder
- 1 clove
- salt
- pepper
- oil
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
Pickled Pine Mushrooms
- 1 pine mushroom thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup verjus
- salt
Quail Eggs
- 4 quail eggs
Jerusalem Artichoke Chips
- 1 Jerusalem artichoke finely sliced
- oil for frying
Jerusalem Artichoke Puree
- 300g Jerusalem artichoke peeled and sliced
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups of water
- 1/2 cup of milk
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg - salt
- pepper
Garnish
- sorrel leaves
Method
1. Start on the sauce by heating up some oil in a thick sauce pan until it's lightly smoking. Add the quail carcasses and cook over high heat until golden brown for approximately 10 minutes. Add the chopped onions, carrots, leeks, pepper and the spice mixes, continue cooking until softened and lightly caramelised. Add the chicken stock, beef stock and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes. Check regularly and top up with a bit of beef stock if required. There should be about 1/2 cup of sauce left.
2. Season the quail breast and leg pieces with salt and pepper, put them into zip lock bags ensuring it's arranged in single layers with olive oil. Cook in sous vide bath at 62 degrees for 45 minutes with a sous vide stick.
3. Make the pickled mushrooms by bringing the verjus, sliced mushrooms and a pinch of salt to boil, gently simmer for 2 minutes until the mushroom is softned and cooked. Transfer the mushroom with the pickling liquid to a bowl and set it aside.
4. Cook the quail eggs in boiling water for 2.5 minutes and transfer immediately to a bowl with ice water. Peal the quail eggs and set aside.
5. Dry the thinly sliced Jerusalem artichoke between kitchen towels. Heat up frying oil to approx. 180 degrees and fry the chips one by one until golden and crispy. Put it on kitchen towel once cooked and set aside.
6. Make the Jerusalem artichoke puree by adding the Jerusalem artichoke, bay leaf, chicken stock, milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper in a small pot. Bring to boil and simmer over low heat for approximately 15 minutes until the Jerusalem artichokes are softened and cooked through. Transfer the Jerusalem artichokes with approx 1/4 cup of cooking liquid to a food processor and blitz until smooth. Keep warm over a bowl of hot water.
7. Finish the sauce by passing the liquid through a sieve into a new pot. In a small pan, make a roux by adding 2 tbsp of flour to 2 tbsp of butter. Mix well and cook over low heat until golden brown. Add the roux to the sauce to thicken it. Once mixed through and brought to boil over low heat, take it off the stove and pour it into a sauce boat.
8. Take the quail out of zip lock bags. Dry with kitchen towel and pan fry over high heat for few minutes until the skin has turned golden and crispy.
9. Assemble by placing the puree on the plate, top with quail pieces, pickled mushrooms, Jerusalem artichoke chips, quail egg, the jus and garnish. Enjoy with a nice glass of red.
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