QUAIL WITH PUFFED MAC AND CHEESE
Serves 6
I love quail. It’s a perfect bird—flavorful, but not too gamey. The key is to remove the bones so the quail is easy to enjoy.
This is a playful dish. Crispy deep-fried quail is served with our twist on macaroni and cheese. Penne pasta is boiled, dehydrated, and fried. The end result is light and crisp. We drizzle the fried penne with an aged cheddar cheese sauce and sprinkle it with white truffle oil powder. As a final touch we garnish it with a little micro parsley for freshness. It’s perfect with a glass of Pinot Noir. To pair with a more robust red wine, you could try substituting a heavier cheese.
PUFFED PASTA:
5000 grams water
25 grams salt
200 grams dry penne pasta
Canola oil for frying
WHITE TRUFFLE OIL POWDER:
50 grams tapioca maltodextrin (see Sources, here)
0.5 gram salt
50 grams white truffle oil
CHEESE SAUCE:
25 grams unsalted butter
25 grams all-purpose flour
450 grams whole milk
125 grams aged white cheddar
10 grams white wine vinegar
3 grams salt
QUAIL:
Canola oil for frying
3 semi-boneless quail
Salt for seasoning
100 grams flour
155 grams (about 3 large) eggs, beaten
TO FINISH:
2 grams micro parsley
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
Dehydrator (optional)
PUFFED PASTA:
Pour the water and salt into a large stockpot, set over high heat, and bring to a boil. Add the penne to the pot of boiling water, and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook the pasta for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Line a dehydrator tray or sheet pan with a silicone mat. Strain the pasta in a colander and rinse with cold water. Spread the penne evenly in a single layer on the prepared tray. Dehydrate in a dehydrator set at 90°F for 12 hours or in an oven at the lowest setting until completely dry, 8 to 10 hours. Remove the dried penne from the tray and store in an airtight container until you are ready to fry it.
Preheat a deep fat fryer or pot of oil on the stove to 400°F.
Line a sheet pan with paper towels. Fry the dried pasta, 10 pieces at a time, for 30 seconds, until they triple in size. Transfer to the prepared sheet pan. Reserve the oil for frying the quail. Store the Puffed Pasta in an airtight container until ready to serve.
WHITE TRUFFLE OIL POWDER:
Put the tapioca maltodextrin and salt in a food processor. Turn the machine on and slowly drizzle in the white truffle oil. Once all the oil is incorporated, turn the machine off and store the powder in an airtight container until ready to serve.
CHEESE SAUCE:
Melt the butter in a medium saucepot set over medium-low heat. Add the flour and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly, to create a blonde roux. Add the milk, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring the sauce to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened. Reduce the heat to low and add the cheese, 25 grams at a time, continuing to stir constantly until all the cheese has melted into the sauce. Remove from the heat and add the white wine vinegar and salt. Keep warm, but do not allow the sauce to get too hot, as it may separate, until ready to serve.
QUAIL:
Preheat a deep fat fryer or pot of oil on the stove to 350°F.
Use a sharp paring knife to remove the leg bones from the quail. You basically want to push the leg inside out so you can get to the bone, slicing through any cartilage so that it separates easily. Once the bones are removed, invert the meat back into the leg. Now the birds will be totally boneless. Season the quail with salt. Gather two mixing bowls and a sheet pan. Place the flour in one and the eggs in the other. Dredge each quail in flour, then in the eggs, and then back in the flour, letting the finished quail rest on the sheet pan. The quail may be fried immediately or covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before frying.
Line a sheet pan with paper towels. Fry the quail, 1 or 2 at a time, depending on the size of your fryer, for 5 to 6 minutes without touching them, until they are golden brown and floating in the oil. Remove from the oil and let drain on the prepared sheet pan. Fry the remaining quail. Let the final quail rest for 5 minutes and then slice each bird into 8 pieces.
TO FINISH:
Put 35 grams of Puffed Pasta in the bottom of 6 large, shallow bowls. Drizzle with 40 grams of Cheese Sauce. Place 4 slices of deep-fried Quail on top of the pasta. Garnish with 5 grams of White Truffle Oil Powder and a sprinkle of micro parsley. Serve immediately.
