Ingredients
| 4 whole quail | |
| 1 large butternut pumpkin, peeled | |
| canola oil | |
| cream or stock (optional) | |
| 4 bay leaves | |
| 1 tablespoon thyme leaves | |
| 2 marigold flowers | |
| ELDERBERRY SAUCE | |
| quail bones and wings, saved from preparing the crown and legs | |
| 80g elderberries | |
| 2 tablespoons minced shallots | |
| 1 teaspoon minced garlic | |
| canola oil | |
| 1 cup red wine | |
| 1 cup chicken stock | |
| 1 tablespoon butter, chilled |
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Instructions
| 1. | TO PREPARE THE QUAIL CROWN |
| 2. | For this dish we remove some of the quail bones, leaving the breasts still on the bone – this is called the crown. Save all the bones to use in the sauce. |
| 3. | Put the quail breast-side up on a cutting board. Remove the wings, saving them for the sauce later. |
| 4. | Turn the quail breast- side down and run the tip of a paring knife down the side of the leg where it attaches to the back, exposing the joint. |
| 5. | Pull the leg backward until you hear a pop. Once the tendon is cut, the leg will cut right off. |
| 6. | Repeat with the other leg. Put legs aside for cooking later. Use kitchen scissors to cut out the back bone. |
| 7. | Wash the quail thoroughly to remove any offal and blood, then use a paring knife to remove the wishbone (this makes it easier to serve the breasts later). You now have the crown. |
| 8. | Weigh the quail, calculate 1% of the weight and use that much salt to season the quail. |
| 9. | Put in the fridge for 30 minutes before washing and patting dry with a paper towel. |
| 10. | TO COOK THE QUAIL LEGS |
| 11. | Place the quail legs in a sous vide bag. Vacuum seal the bag and cook at 84°C in a water bath for 3 hours. |
| 12. | Alternatively, cover the legs with stock and heat until the stock is just steaming but not moving. Cook for 1 hour. |
| 13. | Once cooked, pull all the leg meat from the bone, put into a bowl and season (keep the bones for the sauce). |
| 14. | Line a small tray with plastic wrap or baking paper and press in the quail meat in a layer about 1⁄2 cm thick. |
| 15. | Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight, with a weight on top if possible, which helps make the meat firm enough to cut. |
| 16. | ELDERBERRY SAUCE |
| 17. | Take the wings and all the quail bones and roast in the oven at 180°C for 40 minutes or until dark golden in colour. |
| 18. | Blend the elderberries then pass them through a sieve. Discard the seeds to give a smooth purée. |
| 19. | Sweat the shallots and garlic in a little oil until cooked and golden, about 3 minutes. |
| 20. | Add the wine and reduce by two-thirds, about 5 minutes. |
| 21. | Add the roasted quail bones and wings and the elderberry purée and pour in the chicken stock. |
| 22. | Simmer until the sauce has reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Pass the sauce through a fine sieve. |
| 23. | Put the sauce in a small pot, taste and season as required. |
| 24. | Whisk in the butter to thicken the sauce. Keep warm until ready to serve. |
| 25. | BUTTERNUT PUMPKIN RAVIOLI |
| 26. | Cut the pumpkin just above the ‘bulb’. Cut the bulb in half and remove the seeds. |
| 27. | Cut the flesh of the bulb into 3cm chunks, making at least 12 pieces. |
| 28. | Season with salt, drizzle with oil and roast at 180°C for 20 minutes until tender. |
| 29. | For the ravioli, use a mandolin to slice the top part of the pumpkin into discs about 1mm thick. |
| 30. | You will need three discs per quail (slice some extra in case they break). Set the discs aside. |
| 31. | Slice the remaining pumpkin evenly and put into a heavy-bottomed pot with a little oil and 1 teaspoon salt. |
| 32. | Put on a medium heat and, with a lid on, sweat the pumpkin until soft, about 10-15 minutes. |
| 33. | Blend the cooked pumpkin, adding water (or stock or cream if desired) until smooth, then season with salt. Keep the purée warm until required. |
| 34. | Blanch the pumpkin discs in boiling, salted water for 10 seconds. Refresh immediately in iced water then pat dry. |
| 35. | Take the pressed quail leg and cut into equilateral triangles that fit within the pumpkin discs. |
| 36. | Make one cut from the edge of the pumpkin disc to the centre. |
| 37. | Line up the cut edge with one side of the quail triangle and fold the pumpkin around the quail, keeping the centre point on place, to seal in the pumpkin to make your ‘ravioli’. Repeat for remaining discs. |
| 38. | TO SERVE |
| 39. | Place the quail crowns on a hot charcoal barbecue. Throw the bay leaves onto the charcoal to smoke up around the quail. |
| 40. | Cook the quail to medium, about 8 minutes. Rest the quail for 4 minutes. |
| 41. | Heat the ravioli in the oven for 5 minutes to warm through. |
| 42. | Spoon three dots of pumpkin purée on each plate and put a piece of roast pumpkin next to each. |
| 43. | Carve the quail breasts off the crown and place next to the pumpkin. |
| 44. | Take the ravioli from the oven and put a few next to the quail breasts. |
| 45. | Warm the sauce and pour into the middle of the plate. |
| 46. | Garnish the dish with thyme leaves and marigold petals. |
Recipes and food styling Helen Turnbull / Photography Anna Briggs