David O'Byrne's Quail & Carrots: Healthy Appetite
Ingredients
Serves 4
Red Wine Sauce:
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 2 sticks celery, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 3 whole gloves garlic
- 1 sprig thyme
- 250 ml red wine
- 500 ml chicken stock
Quail:
- 4 x whole quail
- 8 x slices of pancetta
Potato & Carrot Rosti:
- 2 medium carrots, peeled & grated
- 3 large rooster potatoes, peeled & grated
- 1 large egg
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 tbsp flour
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- Sprig of thyme
- Salt & pepper
Carrot Purée:
- 4 medium carrots, peeled & diced
- 1 shallot, diced
- 400 ml vegetable stock
- Juice of 2 fresh oranges
- 1 garlic clove
- Bunch of thyme
Baby Carrots & Chard:
- 8 baby carrots
- 8 chard leaves
- 1 tbsp butter
Garnish
- 4 fried quails eggs
Method
- First, make the red wine sauce. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic and thyme, cover with the lid and sweat on low heat until vegetables are soft.
- Add the red wine, bring to a simmer and scrape any sticky bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer until red wine is reduced by half.
- Strain the liquid through a muslin cloth, return liquid to saucepan, add 500 ml chicken stock and simmer until reduced to a thick sauce.
- Remove the legs and breasts from the quail. Roll up each breast, wrap in cling film and tie the ends. Remove the bone from the legs and keep for garnish.
- Roll the leg meat in pancetta, 2 slices each. Wrap in tin foil and tie the ends. Gently simmer the legs in a pot of water for 45 minutes.
- Boil the breasts in water for 4 minutes, then remove from pot and place in ice water. 10 minutes before the legs are ready, pre-heat the oven to 190°C.
- Using a muslin cloth to clean tea towel, squeeze the excess water from the grated potatoes. Transfer to a bowl. Add the carrots, onion, the leaves of 1 sprig of thyme, some pepper and mix together.
- Add the baking powder, flour, egg and a pinch of salt and mix to combine. Shape into small patties. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan. Fry rostis until golden, 4 – 5 minutes each side. Transfer to a roasting tray and set aside.
- In a saucepan combine the carrot, shallot, vegetable stock, orange juice and 1 tbsp olive oil. Mince the garlic clove and add to the pot.
- Bring to boil and simmer until carrots are soft (7 – 10 minutes). Blitz carrots in a blender until smooth. Add a little water if necessary. Pass through a sieve into a saucepan, removing any lumps.
- After 45 minutes, transfer legs to a bowl of ice water. Rest for 1 minute then remove tin foil. Remove breasts from cling film. Pat the meat dry with a tea towel if necessary.
- Heat 80 g butter in a frying pan on medium-high heat. Add a sprig of thyme. Baste the legs and breasts in the butter until seared, about 2 minutes. Transfer to the roasting tray and bake in the oven with the rosti for 4 – 6 minutes.
- Peel 8 baby carrots. Add to 200ml boiling water with a pinch of salt. Simmer for 3 minutes and transfer to ice water. Trim the chard leaves and sauté in 1 tbsp butter in a hot saucepan for 3 – 4 minutes.
- Reheat the carrot purée on a low heat.
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan. Remove from the heat, gently crack the eggs and fry in the hot oil. Trim the fried eggs into rounds.
- Slice the breasts and legs into small rounds. Plate up 1 rosti and 1 leg and breast per plate, garnish with a fried egg and the leg bone.
- Add 2 tablespoons of carrot purée, some baby carrots and chard. Drizzle with red wine sauce.
Nutritional information:
Fat: 34 g
Fibre: 2 g