Cailles Aux Raisins Et Chataignes

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Yield:

Ingredients:


8	quails with their livers if possible
16	fresh or tinned vine leaves (if tinned rinse in cold water before using)
8 sm	very thin slices of barding fat
250 gm	chestnuts
300 ml	chicken stock
1	celery stalk
100 gm	smoked bacon derinded and thinly sliced
40 ml	vegetable oil
6	very fresh chicken livers galls removed
40 ml	marc de bourgogne or cognac
1 sprg	thyme
1 pch	mixed spice
60 gm	butter
80 gm	clarifiied butter
2	carrots coarsely chopped
2	shallots coarsely chopped
1	bay leaf snipped
400 gm	white or black grapes peeled and deseeded
200 ml	red burgundy
8	thin slices from a baguette
1	salt freshly ground pepper

Method:

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 hot grill or in a hot oven until they open slightly.

Peel and place in a shallow pan with half the chicken stock and the celery.

Simmer gently until tender but still firm 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 until very hot then saute the bacon until golden 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 3 pieces put them into the hot fat with the quail livers and saute quickly for 30 seconds.

Pour in the spirit and flame it strip the thyme leaves over the livers salt lightly and add the spice.

Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool.

Rub the cooked livers through a fine sieve then work in 30g butter with a fork.

Fold in the bacon julienne taking care not to overwork the mixture and keep at room temperature.

Heat 30g clarified butter in a roasting pan put in the quails and seal for 2 or 3 minutes until light golden on all sides.

Add the carrots shallots and bay leaf then roast in the hot oven for 8 minutes turning the birds over after 5 minutes.

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 chopped giblets in a saute pan with about 15 of the least attractive grapes place over medium heat and brownfor 23 minutes.

Deglaze with the red wine reduce by half then add 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 minutes. Take the pan off the heat beat in the remaining butter and keep hot.

Heat the rest of the clarified butter in a frying pan and fry the bread until golden on both sides.

Use a palette knife to spread the stuffing on the croutons then heat them in the oven for about 3 minutes.

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 hot chestnuts and arrange them around the quails.

Warm the remaining grapes in the hot sauce taking great care that 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 4
preparation time 1 hour
cooking time 10-12 minutes

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.

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