English quail and truffle pie with buttered kohlrabi

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These stunning mini puff pastry pies from top chef Adam Gray are laced with the heady flavours of wild mushroom and summer truffle. This meat pie recipe featuring English quail is a luxurious starter for a celebratory dinner, but you can also substitute the quail breast with other fowl meat.

First published in 2015

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Quail and truffle pie

Buttered kohlrabi

Equipment

  • 6cm and 16cm round cutters

Method

1
To make the pies, cut the wild mushrooms into evenly sized pieces. Heat a cast iron frying pan to a high heat and add a little of the rapeseed oil. Add the wild mushrooms
2
Ensure the wild mushrooms are golden brown all over before removing them from the frying pan. Do not season
3
Drain the wild mushrooms on kitchen paper and leave to cool to room temperature, then finely chop
4
Pour 250ml of the quail gravy into a small saucepan and cook over a high heat until reduced to 100ml. Allow to cool
5
Mix the mushrooms with the minced quail. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the cream, reduced quail gravy and Madeira. Carefully add the summer truffle
6
Cut the puff pastry with two circular cutters into 6 x 6cm discs and 6 x 16cm discs
  • 1 sheet of puff pastry, pre-rolled
7
Weigh out the quail mix into 45g sized portions and spoon onto the smaller of the two puff pastry discs
8
Mix the egg with the milk to make an egg wash and brush round the outside of the puff pastry discs with the quail mix on
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp of milk
9
Mould the larger of puff pastry discs over the top of the quail mix and seal with a little more egg wash
10
Press firmly with the sides of your hands to ensure the pies are sealed and trim off any excess puff pastry
11
Crimp the edges of the pies with a fork to ensure they are totally sealed. This also creates a presentation pattern
12
With the end of a small sharp knife, pierce a hole in the top of each pie to allow any excess steam to escape during cooking
13
Egg-wash the quail pies all over and place in the fridge to rest for 20 minutes, before cooking
14
For the kohlrabi, peel and cut each one into four even slices. Select the six best slices and cut out with a 6cm cutter
15
Preheat the oven to 110˚C/Gas mark ¼. Line the bottom of a shallow metal tray with greaseproof paper and arrange the kohlrabi discs on top. Pour over enough clarified butter to cover and then seal the tray with foil. Cook for 12-14 minutes
16
Remove the kohlrabi from the clarified butter and place on draining paper to cool to room temperature
17
Preheat the oven to 200˚C/Gas mark 6. Cook the pies for 15-18 minutes until golden brown
18
Meanwhile, heat the roast quail gravy in a saucepan over a medium heat
19
To serve, pan-fry the cooked kohlrabi in a little of the remaining rapeseed oil to achieve a slight colour. Place a lightly coloured kohlrabi disc in the middle of 6 serving bowls
20
Spoon a little more of the roast quail gravy around the kohlrabi and then place the quail pies on top
First published in 2015

Adam Gray pulls off classic British flavours with grace, intelligence and admirable lightness of touch.

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