A flavoursome main course.
Ingredients
- 300 g puy lentils
- 8 floury potatoes
- 50 g pancetta
- a small celeriac chopped into chunks
- 2 tblsp chopped rosemary
- a small onion (finely chopped)
- large knob of butter
- 1 carrot diced
- milk
- 1 rib celery (diced)
- salt pepper
- 2 cloves garlic (finely diced)
- 900 ml chicken stock
- extra virgin olive oil
- red wine vinegar
- salt and pepper
- oven ready quail (2 per person)
- honey
- butter
- fresh breadcrumbs
- a handful of blond raisins (soaked in warm water)
- 2 tblsp sage (finely chopped)
- salt flakes
Method
- Heat some olive oil in a pot to which you have a lid, cast iron if you have one.
- Add the carrot, celery and onion and soften without colouring.
- Add the pancetta, rosemary and garlic and cook for a few minutes.
- Add the lentils and cook for a few more minutes.
- Cover the lentils well with the stock, bring to the boil, cover with the lid and place in a preheated oven at 160°C for about an hour.
- When the lentils are nice and tender, add a good splash of extra virgin olive oil and a tablespoon of red wine vinegar. Season well.
- While all the lentils are braising in the oven prepare the mash.
- Peel and steam the spuds, and boil the chunks of celeriac. This should take about 20 minutes.
- When all are cooked, heat up a splash of milk and the butter in a pan.
- Add the spuds and celeriac a few pieces at a time and mash well. Keep on adding until you have reached the desired consistency. Season and keep warm.
- Prepare the stuffing by softening the onion in some butter, adding the sage, raisins and breadcrumbs and cook until you have a nice moist stuffing.
- Place a good amount of stuffing in the cavity of the birds, and truss up with a cocktail stick. Gently heat the honey and mix in some butter so that it becomes runny and easy to spread.
- Give each bird a good coating of honey and sprinkle the salt flakes on the crowns. Roast in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 12 minutes.
- Arrange the mash off-centre on 4 plates, spooning some lentils around the inside of the plate. Place 2 quail over the lentils, leaning on the side of the mash. Serve with finger bowls.
