Serves 2
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2 quail
Olive oil
1 bulb of fennel
1 carrot
1 brown onion
Pink salt to taste
500ml veal stock
1 bunch of thyme
2 fresh bay leaves
1 jar jellied cranberry sauce
250g butter
400g butternut pumpkin
250ml cream
50g pepitas
1 cup oats
METHOD
Preheat oven to 175 degrees celsius
Sauce
1 Remove legs, wishbone and excess carcass from the quail, keeping the crown intact. Set legs to one side and other offcuts to the other.
2 In a hot pan, seal bones in a little olive oil. Once caramelised, add chopped fennel, carrot, onion and sweat for two minutes. Season with pink salt to taste.
3 Deglaze pan with stock and add thyme and bay leaves to pot. Allow to simmer on a low heat till reduced by half. Strain and set aside.
4 To finish sauce, add two tablespoons jellied cranberry sauce to reduction and return to heat.
5 Allow to reduce to glaze consistency. Finish with knob of butter and a final season of pink salt.
Shaved Pumpkin
1 Trim a small piece of pumpkin into a 5cm square then shave 6 slices on mandolin. Set aside.
Charred Pumpkin
1 Slice two pieces of pumpkin to approximately 8mm thick, and cut into wedges.
2 In a hot pan, add a little oil and then add wedges of pumpkin. Weigh down with another pan to keep flat.
3 Once charred and slightly softened, remove from heat and set aside.
Pumpkin Puree
1 Grate the remaining pumpkin and sweat in a pot with 75 gram of butter and a dash of cream for five minutes.
2 Once soft, add another dash of cream and turn onto low heat. Allow to simmer for another five minutes. Season, remove and blitz with hand mixer till smooth. Set aside.
Granola
1 Toast pepitas and oats in 175 degree celsius oven for six minutes.
2 Season with pink salt then add 1 tablespoon of craisins
Adjust heat of oven to 200 degrees celsius
Gel
1 Blitz remaining jellied cranberry sauce with a hand mixer and then place in a squeeze bottle.
Quail
1 Place quail legs in pan on a moderate heat and colour skin. Cook gently till just done and remove from pan.
2 Place pan back on a high heat. In a little oil, season the crown and colour the skin, breast side down. Once caramelised, place in 200 degree celsius oven for six minutes. Glaze with the sauce prepared earlier, setting a small amount aside for plating, add legs to pan and return to oven for another six minutes. Allow to rest for five minutes.
3 Carve breasts from crown.
To Serve
1 Spread puree along centre of plate. Add small piles of granola. Arrange quail on top of the puree in the centre of the plate.
2 Refresh shaved pumpkin in boiling water for 5 seconds, roll and add to plate.
3 Top with charred pumpkin pieces. Add cranberry gel. Dress with sauce.
The Carousel thanks Ocean Spray for this recipe.
