We’re going to make a beautiful two colored quail pasta dish! It’s a two colored pasta dough filled with confit quail, a rich quail sauce, a beurre noisette beurre blanc, roasted fennel and a super nice quails breast that we’ll cook on the crown.
How to clean the quails
One quail is enough for 2 persons. Start by removing the head. Then cut the neck of as well and keep it for the sauce. Now make two small incisions on the legs and twist the joints to break them. Then cut the legs off. Now make an incision at the back and twist it to remove the bottom. Keep it for the sauce as well. Do the same with both the wings. Later on we’re going to cook the breasts on the crown. Then clean the remaining quails as well and keep them covered in your fridge for later. The legs we keep for the pasta filling and the trimmings for the sauce.
The quail sauce
The quail trimmings | |
5 | quail carcasses |
150 grams | onion |
100 grams | shallot |
5 cloves | garlic |
100 grams | white button mushroom |
150 grams | white wine |
250 grams | cream |
400 grams | water |
2 sprigs | thyme |
White wine vinegar |
Add a drizzle of oil to a hot pan and pan fry the quail trimmings with the quail carcasses. Use 2 chicken carcasses if you don't have quail carcasses. Meanwhile cut the onions in half and clean them. Now slice it them in thin slices. Do the same with the shallots and with the garlic. Then slice the white button mushrooms in thin slices as well. Once the quail trimmings are golden brown add all the chopped vegetables to the pan and pan fry it for another 5 minutes. Really make sure it has a nice color for the best flavor. Then deglaze the pan with the white wine and let it vaporize it almost all the way. After that also add the cream, the water and the thyme. Let this simmer on a low heat for at least 6 hours. Once all the flavor has been extracted drain the sauce and let it drip for at least 30 minutes so you don’t waste a single drop. Then reduce the sauce till you’re happy with the flavor. While it’s reducing skim any fat or foam off the sauce. Now to balance some of the fattiness I added a splash of white wine vinegar. Then give it a taste for seasoning and keep it in your fridge for later.
The beurre noisette beurre blanc
250 grams | butter |
2 | shallots |
2 cloves | garlic |
2 sprigs | thyme |
10 | black pepper grains |
10 | coriander seeds |
600 grams | white wine |
100 grams | white wine vinegar |
Beurre noisette is caramelized butter and it has a beautiful nutty aromatic flavor. Caramelize the butter on a medium heat and stir it every now and then to prevent the solids from burning. Once the color starts to chance turn the heat down, so you have more control. Then when it’s caramelized pour it into a bowl and let it cool down in your fridge. Now cut the shallots in half and clean them, then slice them in thin slices. Transfer the shallot into a pan and then to the same with the garlic. Also add the thyme, the black pepper grains, the coriander seeds, the white wine and the white wine vinegar. Bring this to a simmer and then let it reduce on a medium low heat till 80% of the liquid is reduced. Once reduced drain it and press all the liquid out the shallots using a ladle so nothing is wasted. This liquid is called castric.
100 grams | castric |
20 grams | cream |
5 grams | salt |
200 grams | cold beurre noisette |
Now let’s finish the sauce. Mix 100 grams of the castric we just made with the cream and the salt. Bring this to a boil and then slowly while blending add 200 grams of the cold beurre noisette we also just made. If you reheat the sauce later big chance it will split, but no worries just blend it with a hand blender and you’re good to go.
The quail filling
The quail legs | |
Goose fat or duck fat | |
5 sprigs | thyme |
3 cloves | garlic |
20 grams | butter |
25 grams | flour |
200 grams | poultry broth |
balsamic vinegar |
Season the quail legs with some salt and transfer them into a pan. Then submerge the legs with melted goose fat or duck fat. Also add the thyme and the garlic that are cut in half. Now bring this to a simmer, then turn down the heat and let it confit for around 2 hours. The legs are cooked when the meat falls off the bone. Then take the legs out of the fat and pass the fat through a fine sieve. You can reuse it for another dish. After that clean the legs by removing the bones, skin and any other unwanted parts. Now melt the butter in a saucepan and once it’s melted add the flour. Cook the flour while stirring on a medium heat for around 2 minutes. Then in 4 parts slowly add the poultry broth and bring it to a boil every time you add a part of the broth. When it’s binded add the cleaned quals meat and mix it well. Now season it with balsamic vinegar and salt. Then transfer it into a bowl and keep it in your fridge for later.
The pasta
2 x 130 grams | plain flour |
2 x 30 grams | semolina flour |
2 x 130 grams | egg yolk |
15 grams | olive oil |
3 grams | salt |
6 grams | squid ink |
Mix the first plain flour with the frist semolina flour and use the bowl to make a well in the middle. Fill the well with the frist egg yolk, the frist olive oil and the first salt. Now use a fork to mix it and then knead it into a nice dough. For large recipes you can also start in a food processor and then knead it into a nice dough. Now cover it and let it rest in your fridge for at least 2 hours. Then the second dough. Mix the second plain flour with the second semolina flour and use the bowl to make a well in the middle. Fill the well with the second egg yolk, the second olive oil, the second salt and the squid ink. Now use a fork to mix it and then knead it into a nice dough. Make sure both doughs get to rest at least 2 hours. Now roll the dough on the thickest setting on a pasta machine and if needed use some flour for dusting. Use as little as possible. Then also roll the other batch of pasta dough to the same thickness. Now if you used any flour remove as much as possible before placing the sheets of dough on top of each other. Gently press it down using a rolling pin and then cut it in two. Stack them once more and then repeat this process until you have 16 layers. Gently press it down and then cover it completely. Let it set for around 30 minutes in your fridge. Once set portion the pasta dough into thick slices that are around a centimeter thick. Use a long sharp knife and make long slices without pressing the knife down for the best result. Then roll those slices into long sheet that are around 2 millimeters thin. Once all the sheets are done portion them into the desired size and place them next to each other. Now place a teaspoon of filling on each square. Then roll the pasta and press the sides to create the candy shape. Now you can keep the pasta cover in your fridge for 1 or 2 days. Otherwise I would suggest freezing them and boiling them straight from the freezer.
The fennel
Cut a fennel in half and place it flat side up on a tray. Now drizzle some olive oil on top and season with salt and black pepper. Then cover it with some foil and bake them at 180 degrees Celsius for around 45 minutes till fully cooked. Once cooked let it cool down before removing the foil and then portion it to the desired size. Now keep it covered in your fridge for later.
How to finish the dish
Season the quail all around with salt and drizzle some oil in a pan. Now panfry the quail till golden brown. Do this on a medium heat to create a super nice crispy skin. Then add a knot of butter and some thyme and once the butter has caramelized baste the quail with the hot fat. Do this for a minute or two. Now place the quail on a rack and pour the hot fat on top. Then let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes at 45 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile cook the pasta in some salted water for 2 minutes when fresh and 2.5 minutes when straight from the freezer. Then transfer it in the hot quail sauce and set it aside for later. The fennel I reheated at 160 degrees Celsius for a couple of minutes. Once all the components are ready to go cut the breasts off the bone. Portion them in three and season with some flaky salt. Then place the pasta in a bowl and pour some sauce on top. Lay the quail in between and together with the fennel. Now foam the beurre blanc and pour it on top as well.