Ingredients

  • Stuffing
  • 200 grams onion finely chopped
  • 2 stalks celery finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove finely chopped
  • 55 grams butter, unsalted
  • 75 milliliters chicken stock very rich
  • 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon chopped
  • 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon fig molasses
  • 55 grams pecans chopped
  • 110 grams dried figs finely chopped
  • 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • Figs and sauce
  • 55 grams butter, unsalted
  • 168 ¾ grams dried figs
  • ¼ cup shallot finely chop
  • ¼ cup celery finely chop
  • 225 milliliters red wine
  • 315 milliliters chicken stock rich stock
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch or arrowroot
  • 1 ⅓ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons fig molasses
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • Quail
  • 12 quail semi-boneless
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions

1. Stuffing: Sauté onion, celery, garlic in butter in heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until pale golden. Add demi-glace and reduce until most of liquid is evaporated. Stir in tarragon, vinegar, syrup, pecans, dried figs, bread crumbs, salt and pepper, then spread stuffing on a plate to cool.
2. Figs and Sauce: Preferable to use fresh figs (halved), 1 1/2 lb for 8 servings. Heat half of the butter in a heavy skillet until foam subsides, then brown figs, cut sides down, without stirring, about 3 minutes. Transfer figs to a bowl with a slotted spatula.
3. Add shallot and celery (and dried figs, if using) to skillet and sauté until golden. Add wine and half of the fresh figs and boil, stirring and mashing figs, until wine is reduced to a syrup. Stir in demi-glace and bring to a boil. Stir in cornstarch or arrowroot into vinegar until dissolved, then add to skillet along with syrup, whisking, to incorporate. Boil sauce 2 minutes, then pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a heavy saucepan, pressing on and then discarding solids. Stir in tarragon, salt and pepper.
4. Quail: Discard any metal skewers from quail cavity, then rinse and pat dry. Stuff 1 quail with a scant 1/4 cup stuffing, pressing and shaping it to fill out breast. Tie legs together with string and push legs up against body. Thread cavity closed with a wooden pick. Repeat with remaining quail.
5. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350*F/175*C/GM 4.
6. Sprinkle quail all over with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil in cleaned heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then brown 6 quail on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer with tongs to a large shallow baking pan. Wipe skillet clean and brown remaining quail in same manner in remaining tablespoon each of butter and oil.
7. Remove strings and picks from all quail, then roast quail, breast sides up, until just cooked through, 10-15 minutes. Add reserved browned figs to pan for last 2-3 minutes of roasting.
8. While quail roast, return sauce to a simmer, then add remaining 2 tablespoons butter, whisking until incorporated.
9. Transfer quail and figs to a serving dish and pour any juices from baking pan into sauce. Serve quail with sauce.
10. Stuffing can be made 1 day ahead and cooled completely, unovered, then chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.
11. Figs and sauce, without remaining 2 tablespoons butter, can be prepared 1 day ahead and cooled, uncovered, then chilled separately, covered. Bring sauce to a simmer before adding butter.
12. Quail can be browned 1 hour before roasting. Keep quail, uncovered, at room temperature.

Notes
Serving Ideas:Original serves 6, 12 quail or 3 poussins


Categories
Game, main course, main courseChicken
Keywords
Game, main courseChicken, main course
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