QUAIL BURGUNDY WITH GRAPES — The Kitchen Scholar

SOURCE: ANNE WILLAN. THE COUNTRY COOKING OF FRANCE.

Regardless of the location within the French region of Burgundy, be it the mountain villages in the provincial heart of the Morvan or the wine vineyards of Irancy that included the eponymous Les Cailles area, flocks of wild quail once roamed freely, scurrying in camouflage with the soil or hiding under the shade of vine leaves while pecking on the low-hanging grapes. Espousing this dietary behavior did not just spoil these avians into poor and reluctant fliers but it also made them favorably plump and flavorful game birds for the locals to capture, cook, and eat. More often than not, the traditional practice is to feature the quail along with the edible parts of their favorite plant, wherein the cloth of vine leaves give a bitter touch and the grapes add a sweet resemblance to “unhatched eggs”. Perch the birds on a crispy nest of potato cake for a complete and lifelike meal serving. — Regardless of the location within the French region of Burgundy, be it the mountain villages in the provincial heart of the Morvan or the wine vineyards of Irancy that included the eponymous *Les Cailles* area, flocks of wild quail once roamed freely, scurrying in camouflage with the soil or hiding under the shade of vine leaves while pecking on the low-hanging grapes. Espousing this dietary behavior did not just spoil these avians into poor and reluctant fliers but it also made them favorably plump and flavorful game birds for the locals to capture, cook, and eat. More often than not, the traditional practice is to feature the quail along with the edible parts of their favorite plant, wherein the cloth of vine leaves give a bitter touch and the grapes add a sweet resemblance to “unhatched eggs”. Perch the birds on a crispy nest of potato cake for a complete and lifelike meal serving.

Ingredients

8 medium-sized quail

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

16 fresh OR bottled grape leaves, rinsed and drained

8 thin slices of lean bacon

1 1/4 cup/225 grams seedless green grapes

1 tablespoon/15 mL vegetable oil

1 tablespoon/15 grams unsalted butter

3/4 cup/180 mL or more chicken stock

2 tablespoons/30 mL Cognac

2 teaspoons/5 grams arrowroot OR cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons/30 mL water

Potato Nests

1 pound/450 grams baking potatoes, peeled

1/4 cup/60 mL crème fraîche OR heavy cream

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 tablespoons/60 grams unsalted butter

Specific Equipment

Paper towels

Trussing strings

OPTIONAL: Small pan

Roasting pan

Hand grater or food processor equipped with a grating disk

Kitchen towel

Sauté pan or skillet

Tray

Aluminum foil

Strainer

Small saucepan

Small bowl

Wire whisk

Serves 4

Instructions

1. Wipe the quail dry inside and out with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Wrap two grape leaves around each quail. Top each breast with a slice of lean bacon and tie in place with trussing string. Refrigerate the quail for at least 6 hours or preferably, overnight.

2. Remove the grapes from the stems. If the skins are thick, blanch them in boiling water for 30 seconds; drain and rinse with cold water, and peel off the skins.

3. Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C.

4. Heat the oil and butter in a roasting pan over medium heat. Place the quail over, fitting them altogether in in a single layer on the pan, and brown thoroughly on all sides for 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the roasting pan to the oven and roast the quail, basting often, for 15 to 20 minutes, if pink meat is preferred. Roast for another 5 minutes, if well-done is preferred.

5. Grate the potatoes coarsely with a hand grater or a food processor equipped with a grating disk. Squeeze the potatoes over a kitchen towel to remove as much water as possible. Stir in the crème fraîche or heavy cream and season with salt and pepper. Divide the mixture to four equal portions.

6. Melt the butter in a sauté pan or skillet over medium heat and drop each portion of the potato mixture into the pan, spacing them well apart and flattening each portion to 4-inch/10-cm rounds. Sauté the potatoes for 4 to 5 minutes until they have browned and turn them over and brown for another 4 to 5 minutes. Set the Potato Nests aside in a warm place.

7. Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Transfer the quail to a tray and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Set aside to keep warm.

8. Spoon out the excess fat from the roasting pan. Deglaze the pan with chicken stock and bring to a boil on the stovetop, stirring to dissolve the pan juices. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes or until the volume has reduced in half.

9. Strain the drippings into a small saucepan and stir in the grapes and Cognac. Simmer over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until the grapes are almost tender. Remove the grapes from the saucepan and set aside in a small bowl.

10. Whisk the arrowroot mixture into the saucepan to allow the sauce to slightly thicken. Return the grapes and bring the sauce almost to a boil. Thin the sauce with one or two tablespoonfuls of stock, if necessary, and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper according to taste.

11. Reheat the Potato Nests, if necessary, and set them on individual warm serving plates. Discard the strings and the bacon from the quail and place the two birds on the top of each Potato Nest. Spoon a few grapes and some of the sauce over the quail before serving.

Jul 14 QUAIL BURGUNDY WITH GRAPES