Crouton of quail on wild mushroom pâté with asparagus and quail glaze

RECIPE BY IAN MORPHY FROM THE OLD GEORGE AND DRAGON, EAST MAITLAND

SERVES 6

CROUTONS

1 sourdough baguette, sliced into pieces 1 cm (½ inch) thick

butter, for brushing

PÂTÉ

½ onion, finely chopped

150 g (5½ oz) butter

300 g (10½ oz) field mushrooms, chopped

300 g (10½ oz) Swiss brown mushrooms, roughly chopped

400 g (14 oz) frozen porcini mushrooms, defrosted and sliced

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 tablespoons chopped tarragon

150 g (5½ oz) thick (double/heavy) cream

1 tablespoon arrowroot in 60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) water

QUAIL

6 large quail – approx 300 g (10½ oz) each

12 bacon slices

6 thyme sprigs

SAUCE

quail carcasses, legs reserved

500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) chicken stock

100 ml (3½ fl oz) dry white wine

50 g (1¾ oz) butter

For the croutons: Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). Butter the slices of bread with butter, then lay out on a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes until crisp, turning once, then set aside. Increase the oven temperature to 200°C (400°F/Gas 6).

For the pâté: Sweat the onion in 50 g (1¾ oz) of the butter in a frying pan over medium heat, then add the field mushrooms and cook until coloured, then tip into a large saucepan. Melt another 50 g (1¾ oz) butter and cook the Swiss browns until coloured and the liquid has evaporated, then add to the saucepan. Finally, cook the frozen porcini in the remaining butter. Cook until they are brown and all the liquid has evaporated, then add to the saucepan together with herbs and cream. Bring to the boil and boil until reduced by about half. Stir in the arrowroot. Blend coarsely and set aside.

For the quail: Loosely drape 2 bacon slices over each quail breast. Stuff each bird with a sprig of thyme. Roast for about 12 minutes for large birds, less for smaller birds. The idea is to keep the breast pink — rest for 5 minutes, then remove the breasts from the carcass.

For the sauce: Chop the quail carcasses and legs and put in a saucepan on medium–high heat. Cover with chicken stock and add the white wine. Reduce to a thin sauce consistency, strain and swirl in the butter.

To assemble, reheat the quail breast briefly in the oven, put 2 croutons on each plate and pile on some warm mushroom pâté. Remove the quail skin and slice the breasts to fan over the pâté. Finish with a drizzle of sauce and some asparagus.