QUAIL (ROAST QUAIL, CONFIT LEG, SWEETCORN)

Serves 2

For the quail

1 quail

10g rock salt hay and wood chippings

100g goose fat

5g mixed herbs

For the quail eggs

2 quail eggs

1l water

50ml white wine vinegar

For the granola

25g light brown sugar

25ml pomace oil

25ml maple syrup

75g oats

25g flaked almonds

15g pumpkin seeds

For the sweetcorn puree

2 banana shallots (finely sliced)

10ml oil

2 sweetcorn

200ml double cream

For the sweetcorn salsa

1 red chilli, seeds removed and cut into fine strips

1 sweetcorn

1 pinch of salt

Beurre noisette, to bind

For the truffle pomme purree

300g potatoes

35g melted butter

35ml milk

2ml truffle oil

Grated fresh truffle

Salt, to taste

For the sweetcorn garnish

3 corn on the cob

To serve

50g kataifi pastry l For the quail, separate the legs, wings and crown. Cover and cure the legs for 1 hour. l In the meantime, bring the sous vide machine to 62ºC, vacuum pack the crown and cook for 30 min. Once the crown is cooked, refresh it in ice water. l Place a handful of hay and wood chippings in a deep oven tray and light it with a match until burnt and smoking. Place the cooked crown in the tray and cover the pan with cling film, allowing the crown to smoke for 20-30 min. l Wash the salt off the legs and pat them down with a clean kitchen towel. Vacuum pack the legs with the goose fat and mixed herbs and cook sous vide at 72ºC for 2-4 hours or until well done. Once the legs are cooked, strain the jus and set aside. Allow the legs to cool and trim as desired. l For the quail eggs, bring water and vinegar to a boil in a large pan. Place quail eggs in a spaghetti basket and boil rapidly for exactly 2 minutes and 5 seconds, immediately plunging them into ice water afterwards. Peel eggs under running water and set aside. For the granola, begin by warming sugar, pomace oil and maple syrup over low heat until thoroughly melted and mixed. Pour mixture over the oats, flaked almonds and pumpkin seeds, making sure to stir continuously. Spread mixture over a lined baking tray and cook at 160ºC until golden, about 15-20 minutes. l For the sweetcorn purée, sauté the shallots in the oil until translucent. In the same pan, add sweetcorn kernels and cover with double cream. Cook until tender, then blitz the mixture until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve and season as required. l For the sweetcorn salsa, combine chilli, sweetcorn, salt and butter to bind. l For the truffle pomme purree, bake potatoes on a tray of salt until the flesh is soft. Mash the potatoes until smooth. Mix the butter, milk, truffle oil, fresh truffle and salt together and slowly spoon into the mash, bit by bit. Store in a piping bag and set aside. l For the sweetcorn garnish, take one corn on the cob and blanch in seasoned water at a rolling boil for 10 minutes, then refresh in ice water. Trim sides into flat sections, making sure to keep them solid and attached. Blacken the top with either a blowtorch or a hot pan, than place on a plate. Take the next corn on the cob and strip the kernals. Roast the kernals on a baking tray at 200ºC until blackened. Allow to cool and then blitz into a fine powder. l Take the final corn on the cob and blanche for 10 mins, then refresh in ice water. Dry on a l Decorate the plate as pictured, placing the quail egg on the kataifi pastry. Place quail on top oif the sweetcorn salsa, puree and granola. Cover everything generously with the reserved jus. Pipe the pomme puree around the plate and serve.

To serve, deep fry Kataifi pastry at 180C until golden, drain on a paper towel and season with sweetcorn powder, ash and salt.

TOM CLARKE is the Chef-Patron of The Windmill in Chatham Green. See Tom in the La Española Chefs Theatre on Saturday 24 June