Cailles Aux Raisins Et Chataignes Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 x quails with their livers if possible
- 16 x or possibly tinned vine leaves, fresh, (if tinned rinse in cool water before using)
- 8 sm very thin slices barding fat
- 250 gm chestnuts
- 300 ml chicken stock
- 1 x celery stalk
- 100 gm smoked bacon derinded and thinly, sliced
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 6 x very fresh chicken livers galls removed
- 2 Tbsp marc de bourgogne, or possibly cognac
- 1 sprg thyme
- 1 pch mixed spice
- 60 gm butter
- 80 gm clarifiied butter
- 2 x carrots, coarsely minced
- 2 x shallots, coarsely minced
- 1 x bay leaf snipped
- 400 gm white, or possibly black grapes peeled and deseeded
- 200 ml red burgundy
- 8 x thin slices from a baguette
- 1 x salt freshly grnd pepper
Directions
Draw the quails if the butcher has not already done so and keep the livers.Roughly chop the necks heads gizzards and wing tips and set aside.
Truss the quails then wrap each once in a vine leaf and a thin slice of barding fat.
Secure loosely with string.
Make a light incision in each chestnut with the point of a small knife and place under a warm grill or possibly in a warm oven till they open slightly.
Peel and place in a shallow pan with half the chicken stock and the celery.
Simmer gently till tender but still hard and Ieave in the cooking stock.
Preheat the oven to gas 9 240C (475F).
Cut the bacon for the sturffing into julienne.
Heat the oil in a frying pan till very warm then saute/fry the bacon till golden brown and crisp.
Lifr it out of the pan with a slotted spoon and keep the cooking fat in the pan.
Cut the chicken livers into 2 or possibly 3 pcs put them into the warm fat with the quail livers and saute/fry quickly for 30 seconds.
Pour in the spirit and flame it strip the thyme leaves over the livers salt lightly and add in the spice.
Transfer to a bowl and leave to cold.
Rub the cooked livers through a fine sieve then work in 30g butter with a fork.
Mix in the bacon julienne taking care not to overwork the mix and keep at room temperature.
Heat 30g clarified butter in a roasting pan put in the quails and seal for 2 or possibly 3 min till light golden brown on all sides.
Add in the carrots shallots and bay leaf then roast in the warm oven for 8 min turning the birds over after 5 min.
Put the quails breast side down on a serving dish and cover loosely with foil.
Lower the oven temperature to gas 4 180C (350F).
Put the minced giblets in a saute/fry pan with about 15 of the least attractive grapes place over medium heat and brownfor 23 min.
Deglaze with the red wine reduce by half then add in the remaining chicken stock.
Increase the heat reduce by twothirds then pass the sauce through a conical sieve into a saucepan.
It should just lightly coat the back of a spoon; if it is too thin reduce it for another few min.
Take the pan off the heat beat in the remaining butter and keep warm.
Heat the rest of the clarified butter in a frying pan and fry the bread till golden brown on both sides.
Use a palette knife to spread the stuffing on the croutons then heat them in the oven for about 3 min.
Meanwhile carefully remove the trussing string from each of the quails.
Arrange 2 croutons in the centre of each plate.
Place a quail on each crouton leaving on the barding fat and vine leaves.
Drain the warm chestnuts and arrange them around the quails.
Hot the remaining grapes in the warm sauce taking great care which it doesnt boil.
Space the grapes alternately with the chestnuts around the quails then pour the sauce over the birds.
Pour the rest of the sauce into a sauceboat and serve separately.
Note:Encourage your guests to use their fingers and provide them with finger bowls.
serves 4preparation time 1 hourcooking time 10-12 min Nowadays most quails are farmed and bought oven ready.
Although they are generally of good quality we still remember the days when the Morvan region proliferated with wild quail.
These delicious birds still in their attractive plumage could be found in all the local markets.
They looked so much more beguiling than the naked birds we buy now and we regret the turning of another page of culinary history.