Roast Quail Stuffed with Foie Gras, Verjus & Muscat Grape Sauce

⏱ 75 min · Serves 4

A proper little restaurant plate: plump quail wrapped in pancetta, hiding a nugget of foie gras that melts into the meat as it roasts. The pan is deglazed with verjus and sweet Muscat grapes for a sauce that's bright, buttery and just tart enough to cut the richness. Two birds each, a spoon of sauce, and a very good bottle of white.

Per serving: 642 kcal · 45.0g protein · 14.0g carbs · 44.0g fat

Ingredients

• 8 oven-ready quail, wishbones removed if possible
• 160g raw duck foie gras (or good foie gras parfait), cut into 8 cubes
• 8 thin slices pancetta or streaky bacon
• 2 tbsp brandy or Armagnac
• 8 small sage leaves
• 1 tbsp duck fat or olive oil
• 30g unsecured butter, cold and diced, for the sauce
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 150ml verjus (verjuice)
• 150ml chicken or game stock, well reduced
• 200g seedless Muscat or green grapes, halved
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 sprig thyme
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Kitchen string
• To serve: buttered Savoy cabbage or celeriac purée

Method

1. Take the quail out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Pat the cavities dry and season inside and out with salt and pepper.
2. Toss the foie gras cubes with the brandy and a pinch of salt. Slip one cube plus a sage leaf into each quail cavity.
3. Cross the legs and tie each bird with string, then drape a slice of pancetta over the breasts and tie or tuck it in place. Chill for 15 minutes to firm up the foie gras.
4. Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan. Warm the duck fat in a heavy ovenproof pan and brown the quail all over, 3–4 minutes, turning carefully.
5. Sit the birds breast up, add the thyme, and roast for 12–14 minutes until the breasts are just firm and blushing pink at the bone. Lift onto a warm plate, cover loosely with foil and rest 8 minutes.
6. Pour off all but a spoonful of fat from the pan. Add the shallot and soften over medium heat for 2 minutes without colouring.
7. Pour in the verjus and reduce by two thirds, scraping up the pan juices. Add the stock and honey and reduce to a light coating consistency, about 5 minutes.
8. Add the grapes and warm through for 1 minute only — they should stay plump. Take off the heat and whisk in the cold butter, piece by piece, until glossy. Season, then stir in any resting juices.
9. Snip the strings. Serve two quail per person on buttered cabbage or celeriac purée, spooning the grapes and verjus sauce over and around.