Quail Nicoise
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time:1hr 15
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
For the quail
-4 small quails
-200g minced sausage meat
-5g truffle oil
-Olive oil, for frying
For the parsley crisp
-2 sprigs flat leaf parsley
-20ml vegetable oil
For the confittomtatoes
-8 baby heritage tomtatoes
-1 sprig thyme
-1 clove garlic, finely chopped
-Maldon salt, to taste
-Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the sauce
-500ml brown chicken stock
-120ml white wine
-2 bay leaves
-1 carrot, peeled and diced
-2 shallots, peeled and chopped
-1 sprig of thyme
-150-200g reserved quail bones
-1 tsp mustard
-15ml Chardonnay vinegar
For the confit potatoes
-8 ratte potatoes
-500g clarified butter
For the Haricot vert
-30g haricot vert
-Splash olive oil
-Maldon salt, to taste
For the garnish
-4 quail’s eggs
-5g truffle shavings
-8 green olives
METHOD
- For the quail, prep each by taking off the crown and placing the bird breast side down onto the board, remove the breastbone from the back; you will be left with both breasts in once piece. In a bowl mix the sausage meat with the truffle oil so that it is well combined. To make the ballontine, lay out clingfilm onto a flat surface and place the quail on top (so that one breast is at the top and one at the bottome). Spread ¼ of the sausage meat over the top, leaving the edges clear, and then taking the clingfilm, roll the bottom to the top to create a sausage. Roll up in the clingfilm and then tightly tie off the ends. Repeat for the other 3 quail. Cook in a water bath at 60˚C for 1 hour. To finish the quail, remove the clingfilm and roast in a heated pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil over a high heat for 2 minutes or until golden brown all over.
- For the parsley crisp, warm the vegetable oil in a pan. Pick the leaves from the stem. Dip the parsley leaves in the oil and then place flat onto the dehydrator tray lined with clingfilm and place in the dehydrator for 1 hour.
- For the confit tomatoes, drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil. Sprinkle of the garlic and picked thyme and season with salt and pepper. Place in a preheated oven at 50˚C for one hour.
- For the quail sauce, roast the reserved bones in a pan with butter and oil until they turn golden brown. Add the carrot, shallots, thyme and bay leaves and continue to cook for a couple more minutes. Deglaze the pan with the wine and reduce by two thirds, then add the brown chicken stock and reduce to sauce consistency (you want at least 100ml of jus left). When ready to serve, heat through the sauce and emulsify the mustard and Chardonnay vinegar in 100ml of quail jus.
- For the confit potatoes, place the potatoes into a small pan with the clarified butter (they should be completely covered). Cook over a gentle heat so that it is gently simmering for 30-45 minutes or until cooked through. When ready to serve, remove from the butter and drain on kitchen paper. Slice into 1 cm thick rounds.
- For the Haricot vert, blanch in salted boiling water for 4 minutes and then refresh in ice water. Drain and dry well. To finish, warm in a saucepan with olive oil and season with salt, to taste.
- For the garnish, place the quail eggs in boiling water for 1 minute and 20 seconds and then refresh in ice water. Carefully peel and wash ready for serving. Shave very thin slices of truffle on the mandolin and set aside. Slice the green olives into rounds.
- To plate, Place the cylinders of confit potatoes into a rough line along the centre of the plate. Trim the ends of the ballontine and cut into half and place one half at either end. Scatter the haricot vert across the plate, following the line of confit potatoes and place around slices of the confittomtato. Scatter slices of green olive and truffle and place one quail egg per plate. Finish by drizzling over the sauce and then placing on parsley crisps.