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Quail with Corn and Chorizo Salsa with Pedro Ximenez Glaze

Serves 4
  • Steps
  • Ingredients

Steps

  • Preheat oven to 200C.
  • For the Red Capsicum Purée, place capsicum directly onto stove top over an open flame and char, turning until blackened. Remove from flame and wrap capsicum in cling film for 10 minutes. Unwrap, remove skin then place flesh into a stick blender canister, add olive oil and salt to taste and process until smooth. Set aside until needed.
  • For the Corn and Chorizo Salsa, place chorizo sausage meat into a small food processor and process until finely chopped. Transfer the sausage meat to a small frypan and place over medium heat. Fry until chorizo is golden and crispy. Remove chorizo from pan, reserving fat in pan and set aside on kitchen paper to drain.
  • Add corn kernels to frypan and fry over high heat in the reserved chorizo fat until tender and charred. Remove corn from heat and transfer to a small bowl. Add chorizo sausage meat and season to taste. Mix well and set aside until needed.
  • For the Gremolata, combine ingredients in a small bowl and mix gently to combine. Season and set aside until needed.
  • For the Pedro Ximénez Glaze, first remove quail legs and crowns from 4 quails and set aside for the Confit Quail.
  • Place a large fry pan over high heat. Chop the remaining 2 quails, plus the wings and trimmings from the rest of the quails, into small pieces and place into the fry pan with the olive oil. Fry quail until caramelised and golden brown.
  • Drain excess fat from pan then add Pedro Ximénez and deglaze pan, scraping the bottom of the pan with a silicon spatula. Add stock plus ½ cup of water, reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half, about 7 minutes. Strain the liquid into a clean saucepan and whisk in butter, one cube at a time, until smooth and glossy. Add sherry vinegar and season to taste. Set aside, keeping warm, until needed.
  • For the Confit Quail, place 250ml olive oil into a small saucepan. Add quail legs and cook over very low heat for 30 minutes, without boiling, until tender. Remove legs from the oil and season to taste. Reserve oil for frying.
  • Place a medium fry pan over high heat, place the quail legs into the pan, presentation side down, and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside, keeping warm, until needed.
  • Return pan to heat and add 1 – 2 tablespoons of the confit oil. Season crowns and place into fry pan, presentation side down, and cook until skin is golden brown but flesh is still pink inside. Remove crowns from pan and carefully remove breast fillets. Return the breast fillets to the fry pan, and add the butter. Fry, spooning the pan juices over the meat, until deep golden and cooked through, about 2 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside to rest.
  • To serve, place 2 spoonsful of the Red Capsicum Purée in the centre of each serving plate. Top with 2 – 3 spoonsful of the Corn and Chorizo Salsa. Sit 2 quail legs and 2 breast pieces on top of the salsa on each plate. Top with a spoonful of the Gremolata.

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