Roast quail breast, caesar salad, fried quail eggs
Roast quail breast, caesar salad, fried quail eggs
Glenmorangie House, Ross-shire
2 quail crowns
4 slices pancetta
100g grated parmesan
4 quail eggs
Micro greens
Baby radish, thinly sliced
Caesar dressing
30g fresh parsley
15g fresh tarragon
1½tsp white wine vinegar ½tsp garlic, finely chopped 6 anchovy fillets
2 egg yolks
120g rapeseed oil
1¼tsp lemon juice
10g parmesan, grated
Serves 2
Preheat a water bath to 62°C. Season the quail crowns with salt, place in individual vacuum bags with a ladle of chicken stock, and seal under pressure. Cook in a water bath preheated to 62˚C for 45 minutes, then remove from the bags and dry with kitchen paper.
Arrange the pancetta slices in a single layer on foil on a baking sheet. Bake at 200°C for 8-10 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a paper towel-lined wire rack with a spatula and stand for 10 minutes or until crisp.
Pre-heat the grill to medium. Line a baking tray with baking paper and spread a thin, even layer of grated parmesan in the desired shape. To make neater, uniform crisps, use metal rings.
Place the baking tray under the grill for approximately 3-5 minutes until very light golden brown – they burn easily so check regularly. Leave to cool before carefully transferring to a wire rack with a palette knife. Place the parsley, tarragon, salt, pepper, vinegar, garlic, anchovies and egg yolks for the dressing in a food processor with a pinch each of salt and pepper and blend to a smooth paste. Slowly pour in the oil with the blade still running on a low speed until the sauce starts to thicken and emulsify. Finally add the lemon juice and parmesan. If the mixture is too thick, add a little water. If your dressing splits you can add lemon juice to help bring it back together again.
Heat a frying pan over a high heat, add a little vegetable oil and quickly colour the skin of the birds. Remove the breasts from the bones if desired before serving. Fry the eggs immediately before serving and present with the pancetta and parmesan crisps, dressed micro greens, and the baby radish.