Chaud-froid de Cailles en Belle-vue

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Four 12-inch (30 cm) squares of washed muslin and kitchen string
• •3-quart (2.8 L) narrow heavy saucepan with lid
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Large bowl or basin for an ice bath
• •Wire rack set over a rimmed tray
• •8-inch (20 cm) square deep glass or porcelain serving dish
• •Fine-tipped paring knife and small offset spatula

Instructions

1. 1

   Ready the cold components

   Have the game forcemeat form of Gratins (No. 268), the Brown Chaud-froid Sauce (No. 34), the veal stock, and the savoury jelly finished before you begin. These are complete preparations in their own right, so this formula reaches for them ready rather than rebuilding them inline. Keep the forcemeat thoroughly cold, reserve the sauce in the refrigerator, and hold the melted jelly just cool enough to remain fluid.

2. 2

   Fill and reshape quails

   Lay each boned quail skin-side down and spread one quarter of the chilled Gratins (No. 268) along its centre, leaving a clear border around the skin. Set one rod of foie gras and one rod of truffle lengthwise through the middle. Fold the flesh and skin neatly around the filling, then reshape the bird into its original plump form with the breast skin smooth and unbroken. If the seam gapes, remove a spoonful of forcemeat rather than stretching the skin. Overfilling looks generous now and becomes a split quail in the stock.

3. 3

   Wrap in muslin

   Place each reshaped quail seam-side down on a square of washed muslin. Roll it snugly, twist the ends, and tie them with kitchen string, adding one loose tie around the middle to hold the breast shape. The muslin is not decoration. It replaces the steady hands of a brigade by keeping the boneless bird compact while its filling sets.

4. 4

   Poach and cool

   Bring the veal stock to a bare tremble, about 180 to 190°F (82 to 88°C), in the narrowest pot that will hold the four bundles without crowding. Lower in the quails and keep them submerged with a small heatproof plate if necessary. Poach for 20 minutes without boiling, then check that the centre of the filling has reached 165°F (74°C); if it has not, continue in 2-minute intervals. Set the whole pot in a deep ice bath without removing the quails, and cool them in their stock, turning the bundles once, until thoroughly cold. This preserves their moisture while bringing them quickly through the unsafe temperature range. Never leave the stockpot cooling on the counter.

5. 5

   Dry and cut decoration

   Lift the cold quails from the stock and unwrap them carefully. If the stock has gelled around the muslin, stand the pot briefly in tepid water until the bundles release; pulling will tear the skin. Pat every bird completely dry and set them on a rack in the refrigerator. A damp quail rejects its sauce. Meanwhile, slip the egg whites separately into barely trembling water and poach until opaque and firm, about 3 minutes. Drain, chill, and cut them into small diamonds or leaves with some of the reserved truffle.

6. 6

   Catch the coating point

   Warm the Brown Chaud-froid Sauce (No. 34), prepared with quail fumet, over barely warm water only until smooth and fluid. Quail fumet is the concentrated essence drawn from the bird, and it is what keeps this glaze tied to its filling. Set the bowl over ice and stir continuously as the sauce cools. Test it on a chilled spoon: it is ready when it blankets the metal in an even, glossy film within seconds, without running bare or setting in ridges, usually near 79 to 82°F (26 to 28°C). Dip one cold, dry quail completely, lift it, let the excess fall away, and set it on the rack. If the sauce slides off, it is too warm, so stir it over ice and test again. If it gathers in heavy ridges, warm it gently over lukewarm water. Ça se rattrape. Once the coating sets, patch any bare place with a second thin dip.

7. 7

   Decorate and seal

   Arrange the truffle and poached egg-white pieces neatly across each breast, keeping the pattern restrained enough that the brown glaze remains visible. Spoon a very thin film of the barely fluid savoury jelly over the decoration to fasten it, then chill until set. If the pieces drift, the jelly is too warm. Lift them off, chill the bird again, reseat them, and fix each piece first with two or three cold droplets before adding the final film.

8. 8

   Set in clear jelly

   Use the tip of a fine paring knife to trim the skirts of set sauce from around each quail. Arrange the birds breast-side up in a two-by-two square inside the deep square serving dish. Cool the remaining savoury jelly until it is fluid but close to setting, then pour it slowly down the side of the dish until the quails are covered. Never pour directly onto the decoration. If a brown streak bleeds into the jelly, stop immediately, chill the dish for 10 minutes, skim away the marked jelly, and resume with the remainder slightly colder. Limpid jelly is the belle-vue, the beautiful view, and clarity is part of the dish.

9. 9

   Chill and serve

   Refrigerate the dish for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, until the jelly is firm and bright. Bring it from the refrigerator about 10 minutes before serving and place it directly on the table, still in its deep dish, with a broad spoon for lifting one quail per guest. The original serves it this way; unmolding adds risk and no pleasure. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Ask a poultry butcher to bone the quails through the back while leaving the skin, wing tips, and lower leg bones intact. Ask for every bone and trimming as well, since they belong in the quail fumet used for the sauce. This is skilled butchery, not a shortcut, and it leaves you free to give the filling and coating your full attention.
• •Use a strong, gelatin-rich veal stock with clean flavour and restrained salt. A thin stock gives little to the birds, while an aggressively salted one concentrates as it cools around them.
• •The chilled-spoon test outranks the thermometer. Gel strength varies, so watch what the Brown Chaud-froid Sauce (No. 34) does on cold metal: an even film is ready, a translucent run is too warm, and ridges are too cold.
• •Choose the smallest deep square dish that holds the birds in a two-by-two arrangement. A large dish demands an absurd lake of jelly, which was useful insurance for a brigade but has no place at a home table.
• •Serve with dry Champagne or a firm, mineral white Burgundy. The wine needs enough acidity to meet foie gras and savoury jelly without bullying the truffle.

Advance Preparation

• •Prepare the game forcemeat form of Gratins (No. 268), the Brown Chaud-froid Sauce (No. 34), the savoury jelly, and the veal stock 1 to 2 days ahead. Keep each component covered and refrigerated separately.
• •The quails may be filled, poached, cooled in their stock, unwrapped, and dried a day before coating. Hold them covered in the refrigerator once their surfaces are dry.
• •Complete the decorated jelly dish at least 6 hours before serving; overnight is better. Keep it refrigerated and serve within 2 days, while the jelly remains clear and the decoration sharp.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 480g)