| |
|
What You Need:
(To serve 4)
|
|
|
|
4 one-pound, oven-ready young partridge, baby pheasant, quail, woodcock or grouse
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup flour
7 tablespoons butter
¼ cup finely chopped shallots
2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms (about ½ pound)
2 tablespoons finely chopped cooked ham
2 cups Burgundy or other dry red wine
2 tablespoons brandy
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon dried tarragon
½ small bay leaf
Pinch of ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
|
|
Translate this recipe:
|
|
|
|
|
|
| How To Cook: |
|
|
1. Wash the birds quickly under running water and dry them inside and out with paper towels. Season the birds generously with salt and pepper, roll them in flour, then vigorously shake off the excess. In a heavy 10 to 12- inch skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over moderate heat.
|
2. When the foam subsides, brown the birds, turning them frequently, until they are a light golden color on all sides. Remove the birds from the skillet and set aside.
|
3. Melt 2 more tablespoons of butter in the skillet. Add 3 tablespoons of shallots and cook them over moderate heat, stirring frequently, for 4 or 5 minutes, then drop in the mushroom slices and chopped ham. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes, until the mushrooms are lightly browned. With a rubber spatula, transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside.
|
4. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the skillet and in it cook the remaining 1 tablespoon of shallots for 2 or 3 minutes, until they are soft and lightly colored.
|
5. Add the wine and brandy, and bring to a boil over high heat, meanwhile scraping in any brown bits clinging to the bottom and sides of the pan. Add the thyme, tarragon, bay leaf, nutmeg, ½ teaspoon of salt and a few grindings of black pepper, stir, and then return the birds to the skillet.
|
6. Baste the birds thoroughly, reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the birds are tender. Test by pressing a drumstick with your finger; it should show no resistance when the bird is fully cooked. Transfer the birds to a heated platter and cover them with foil; let them rest while you prepare the sauce.
|
|
7. Bring the juices remaining in the skillet to a boil, and boil briskly until the liquid is reduced to about 1 cup. Remove the bay leaf, stir in the mushroom-ham mixture and simmer for a minute or two. Taste for seasoning, and stir in the parsley. Pour the sauce into a sauceboat and serve with the birds.
|
|
|
|
|
