Centro Vinoteca's Mushroom Risotto Stuffed Quail with Sauteed Kale, Pine Nuts, Amarena Cherries and Jus

By Chef Leah Cohen

 

Serves 4

 

For risotto filling:
1/2 onion, diced small
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup Carnaroli rice
1/4 cup white wine
3 cups of chicken stock
1/4 cup roasted maitake mushrooms, chopped
4 tbsp butter
1 tbsp white truffle oil
1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano, grated
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
Salt to taste

Sweat the onions in olive oil until tender.  Add rice and toast for 2 minutes.  Deglaze with white wine and cook until almost all the wine has evaporated.  Add hot chicken stock in 1/3 increments, constantly stirring the rice in the same direction to build up the starch.  (The rice might need more or less chicken stock, there is no exact measure but 3 cups should be pretty close.)

Once the rice is cooked a little less than al dente fold in butter, cheese, oregano and truffle oil; season with salt to taste.  Spread on a sheet tray and cool down.  

For the quail:
4 quail, deboned and left whole
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 clove of garlic, smashed
1 sprig of thyme

Stuff each bird with about 3-4 tablespoons of the risotto- filled enough but not overflowing.  With butchers twine, truss the quail to retain a uniform shape.

To cook the quail:
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.  In a hot saute pan heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil until smoking.  Place the bird in the pan and brown all sides.  Place it in the oven for about 6 min.  

Remove from the oven add 1 tbsp of butter to the pan plus 1 smashed clove of garlic and a sprig of thyme. Baste the bird with the melted butter and then take out of pan and let it rest for about 3-4 minutes.

For the kale:
1 bunch black kale, stemmed and blanched
1 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
1 tbsp brown butter
1 tsp olive oil
1/8 tbsp minced garlic
3 tbsp chicken stock
salt to taste

In a hot sauté pan add olive oil, garlic and black kale.  Add chicken stock, salt and brown butter.  Once kale is fully cooked add the pinenuts.

For the sauce:
1 onion, large dice
1/2 carrot, large dice
2 stalks celery, large dice
1 tbs olive oil
1 cup red wine
5 lbs. roasted duck bones
enough water to cover bones
1/8 cup canned amarenna cherries

In a stockpot sauté onions, carrot and celery in olive oil.  You want to really caramelize the mirepoix but do not burn the vegetables.  Add red wine and cook out until almost dry.  Add the roasted duck bones and cover with water.  Cook this stock for 5 hours over low simmer.  Strain out everything and then reduce
the liquid until it has a thick sauce-like consistency.  Adjust the seasoning (may need salt).  At the end, add 1/8 cup of canned amarena cherries in their liquid to the sauce.

To plate:
In the middle of the plate place the cooked black kale with pine nuts.  Spoon the sauce around the kale making sure to put 4-5 cherries on each plate in the sauce.  Place roasted quail on top of kale.  Make sure to cut off the butchers twine off the quail.

Phone: (212)367-7470

Address: 74 Seventh Ave. South

Photo by Bartosz Rozyk