Grives et Merles Froids

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide 6 quart (5.7 liter) heavy casserole with lid
• •16 to 18 inch (40 to 45 cm) rimmed oval serving platter
• •Fine-mesh sieve and cheesecloth
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Large basin or roasting pan for an ice bath
• •Shallow tray for setting the remaining aspic

Instructions

1. 1

   Season the quail

   Season the quail inside and out with 1 teaspoon of the salt, then tie each bird's legs loosely together so it keeps a compact shape. Leave them in the cold while you slice the vegetables and prepare a large ice bath. The ice bath is part of the mise en place, not an afterthought; these birds must cool quickly while resting in their own cooking liquor.

2. 2

   Build the liquor

   Melt the butter in a wide, heavy casserole over medium heat. Brown the quail in two batches, turning until the skin is evenly pale bronze rather than deeply roasted, then lift them out. Add the shallots, carrot, and celery and cook gently for 5 minutes without darkening them. Pour in the white wine and 1/4 cup (60 ml / 60 g) of the Madeira, scraping up the fond, the flavorful glaze on the pan floor. Reduce the wine by half.

3. 3

   Poach at a tremble

   Add the chicken stock, 1 3/4 cups (420 ml / 420 g) of the water, the bouquet garni, and the peppercorns. Hold back the remaining water for adjusting the jelly. Simmer the liquor gently for 10 minutes, then return the quail breast-side up. Lay a round of baking parchment directly on the surface and cover the pan. Poach at the barest tremble for 18 to 22 minutes, turning the birds once, until the thickest part of a thigh reaches 165°F (74°C). A boil tightens the meat and clouds the liquor, so lower the heat the moment the surface becomes lively.

   A wide casserole keeps the quail in one layer and reduces the amount of liquor needed to surround them. Crowding them into a deep stockpot only makes cooling slower.
4. 4

   Cool in the liquor

   Transfer the quail to a shallow nonreactive dish. Strain the hot cooking liquor over them, discarding the vegetables and bouquet garni, then set the dish in the prepared ice bath. Move the liquor gently around the birds until it is no longer warm, about 20 minutes. Cover and refrigerate the birds submerged in their liquor for about 2 hours. Do not leave the deep cooking pot to cool on the counter; quick, shallow chilling protects both texture and safety.

5. 5

   Clarify the liquor

   Lift out the cold quail, remove their strings, and blot them very dry. Keep them covered in the refrigerator. Skim every trace of set fat from the cold liquor, then whisk in the egg whites until frothy. Heat very slowly in a clean saucepan, stirring gently only until white flecks begin to rise. Stop stirring and hold the liquid at a bare simmer for 15 minutes while the whites gather into a raft. Make a small opening in the raft and ladle the clear liquor through a fine sieve lined with damp cheesecloth. Never press the raft. If hard boiling breaks it into the liquor, let everything settle for 10 minutes and strain again through fresh damp cloth.

6. 6

   Set the aspic

   Add the remaining 1/4 cup (60 ml / 60 g) Madeira and the lemon juice to the clarified liquor. Measure it, then reduce gently or add enough of the reserved water to make exactly 4 cups (960 ml / 960 g). Taste a spoonful chilled over ice and add the remaining salt as needed; cold mutes seasoning. Put 3/4 cup (180 ml / 180 g) of the cold liquor in a bowl and sprinkle the 21 g gelatin evenly over it. Leave it for 5 minutes. Heat the remaining liquor until hot but not boiling, then whisk in the bloomed gelatin until completely dissolved. Test a spoonful on a cold saucer for 5 minutes. It should hold a clean, tender wobble. If it remains loose, bloom the optional 3 g gelatin in the 1 tablespoon water and melt it into the warm aspic. If it is too firm, loosen it with reserved water, a tablespoon at a time.

7. 7

   Lay the foundation

   Chill a 16 to 18 inch (40 to 45 cm) rimmed oval platter. Pour in enough aspic to make a 1/4 inch (6 mm) base, then refrigerate it for 15 to 20 minutes, until set but still slightly tacky. Cool the remaining aspic over ice until it thickens to the consistency of light syrup. If it sets in the bowl, warm it briefly over barely warm water and stir until fluid again.

8. 8

   Glaze layer by layer

   Arrange the cold, dry quail in two close rows on the set base. Spoon a very thin film of syrupy aspic over each bird and refrigerate for about 10 minutes. Press three tarragon leaves onto each tacky breast, seal them with another thin coat, and chill again. Repeat until every bird wears three or four clear coats. Each coat must be cold and firm before the next goes on. If a warm coat melts the one beneath it, stop, collect the loose jelly, chill the birds until firm, and begin that coat again more thinly. Ça se rattrape.

   Thin coats cling and remain transparent. One heavy pour runs to the platter, traps cloudy bubbles, and hides the shape of the bird.
9. 9

   Chill and serve

   Pour any remaining aspic into a shallow tray, let it set, then cut it into small irregular cubes and arrange them around the quail. Cover the platter without touching the glaze and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Bring it out 10 minutes before serving so the jelly softens from rigid to tender while remaining properly cold. Serve two quail per person with sharp dressed leaves and toasted country bread. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Use farmed quail unless your local law, food-safety authority, and supplier leave no doubt about legally hunted songbirds. The source itself sends the cook to the quail repertoire, so this substitution follows its method rather than wandering away from it.
• •Choose an unsalted chicken stock with a clean flavor and little surface fat. A dark roasted stock makes muddy jelly, while a heavily salted carton becomes harsh after reduction. Technique first, always.
• •Trust the cold-saucer test rather than the gelatin packet. Stocks carry different amounts of natural gelatin, and this aspic must be firm enough to coat a curved bird without becoming rubbery on the fork.
• •Serve the platter with mâche or watercress in a sharp mustard vinaigrette, toasted pain de campagne, and a dry white wine with enough body for the game and Madeira. The cold bird wants contrast, not decorative fuss.

Advance Preparation

• •Poach the quail and chill them in their liquor one day before assembly. Keep the birds submerged, covered, and refrigerated at 40°F (4°C) or colder.
• •The completed platter is better assembled the night before serving. The jelly firms evenly, the seasoning settles, and the birds remain moist beneath their glaze.
• •Keep the finished dish covered and refrigerated, and serve it within 2 days. Do not freeze it; thawed aspic weeps and loses its clear, tender set.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 285g)