Roast Quail Farcie Recipe - Great British Chefs

This stunning quail farcie recipe from Jun Tanaka requires a lot of work, but the results are stunning. A rich farce, or stuffing, is made of foie gras, lardo, Sauternes-soaked sultanas and a host of other tasty ingredients, then stuffed into the boned out quails. No professional kit is required for this dish, just time, patience and careful, classical cooking.

Ingredients

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Quail

4 jumbo quails, boned-out (keep the bones for the jus)

Brine

1l water
80g of salt
40g of sugar
1 sprig of thyme
1 bay leaf
5g of black peppercorns

Quail jus

quail bones, from the 4 boned-out birds
250g of chicken wings, chopped
50ml of sherry vinegar
2 shallots, sliced
5 button mushrooms, sliced
750ml of chicken stock
250ml of veal stock
1 sprig of thyme
olive oil

Gastrique

50g of white wine
50g of white wine vinegar
50g of honey

Farce

50ml of brandy
100g of foie gras, cut into a 5mm dice
125g of smoked bacon, cut into a 5mm dice
150g of lardo, cut into a 5mm dice
3 shallots, finely chopped
125g of chicken livers
200g of spinach
1/2 tsp chopped thyme
10g of Panko breadcrumbs
35g of hazelnuts, toasted
40g of golden sultanas, soaked in 50ml of Sauternes
olive oil
salt
pepper

Green bean salad

150g of green beans
1 red chicory, leaves separated
1/2 banana shallot, cut into rings
30g of hazelnuts, toasted and lightly broken
salt

Truffle vinaigrette

250g of extra virgin olive oil
15ml of soy sauce
15g of black truffle paste
salt
pepper

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Cocktail sticks (12)

To make the brine, pour all of the ingredients into a pan and simmer until the salt and sugar dissolves. Leave to cool, then add the quails to the brine. Set aside for 2 hours and 30 minutes

5g of black peppercorns
1l water
80g of salt
40g of sugar
1 sprig of thyme
1 bay leaf
4 jumbo quails, boned out (keep the bones for the jus)

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Pour a drizzle of olive oil into a saucepan and start to caramelise the chicken wings and quail bones. Once golden, add the sherry vinegar then drain the bones into a colander. Pour a little more olive oil into the pan, add the shallots and mushrooms and sweat for 5 minutes. Return the bones to the pan, pour in the chicken and veal stock and add the thyme. Bring to the boil and simmer for 1 hour

quail bones, from the 4 boned-out birds
250g of chicken wings, chopped
olive oil
50ml of sherry vinegar
250ml of veal stock
2 shallots, sliced
5 button mushrooms, sliced
750ml of chicken stock
1 sprig of thyme

To make the gastrique, add all the ingredients to a saucepan and simmer until reduced by half

50g of honey
50g of white wine
50g of white wine vinegar

Pass the quail sauce through a sieve into a clean pan. Add some of the gastrique then reduce on a high heat, constantly checking the flavor and consistency. Once you have the desired flavour, keep warm

Remove the quails from the brine, clean with fresh cold water and pat dry. Keep in the fridge until needed

Now make the farce. Pour the brandy over the foie gras and place in the freezer

50ml of brandy
100g of foie gras, cut into a 5mm dice

Sweat the bacon in olive oil until golden, then drain in a colander. Sweat the lardo in a dry pan for 2 minutes, then drain in the colander with the bacon. Sweat the shallots in olive oil for 15 minutes, or until soft and translucent then also drain in the colander. Pan-fry the chicken livers for 2 minutes in olive oil, then remove from the heat. Chop the livers and add to the other ingredients in the colander

olive oil
125g of smoked bacon, cut into a 5mm dice
150g of lardo, cut into a 5mm dice
3 shallots, finely chopped
125g of chicken livers

Add a dash of olive oil to the pan and add the spinach. Cook until wilted, then drain and squeeze out any excess liquid. Roughly chop the spinach and set aside

200g of spinach

Place the drained bacon, lardo, shallots and chicken livers in a large bowl, then add the thyme, hazelnuts, breadcrumbs and cooked spinach. Add the soaked sultanas, along with any unabsorbed Sauternes

40g of golden sultanas, soaked in 50ml of Sauternes
1/2 tsp chopped thyme
10g of Panko breadcrumbs
35g of hazelnuts, toasted

Remove the frozen foie gras from the freezer and gently combine with the ingredients in the bowl. Season to taste, then weigh the mixture into 60g egg-shaped balls. Place the portions in the freezer until frozen solid

pepper
salt

Once the farce is frozen, insert into the cavity of one of the quails and using 2 cocktail sticks, fasten both ends of skin. Repeat with all the quails. Cling film each quail then steam for 10 minutes

Cook the green beans for the salad in salted boiling water until just tender. Drain and set aside

150g of green beans
salt

To make the truffle vinaigrette, combine the ingredients in a bowl. Gently reheat the quail jus in a pan

pepper
250g of extra virgin olive oil
15ml of soy sauce
15g of black truffle paste
salt

Preheat the oven to 210°C/fan 190°C/gas mark 7

To serve, brown the quails all over in a frying pan with olive oil then roast in the oven for 3 minutes

Remove from the oven and rest for 5 minutes. Slice the bird in half and place on a plate, removing the cocktail sticks. Dress the green beans, chicory, hazelnut and shallot in the truffle vinaigrette and place next to the quail. Finally, spoon the sauce over the quail and serve

30g of hazelnuts, toasted and lightly broken
1 red chicory, leaves separated
1/2 banana shallot, cut into rings

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Jun Tanaka

After learning his craft in the UK’s best restaurants throughout the 1990s, Jun Tanaka utilises his rigorous classical training to create impeccable small plates of French and Mediterranean food at his relaxed neighbourhood restaurant in Fitzrovia.

Roast quail farcie with lardo, foie gras and hazelnuts

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