Woodcock in casserole on foie gras toast

Today Virginia, from Sweet and Sour, brings us a delicious recipe, one that's worth trying not only for preparing woodcocks, but that will work for cooking any bird, with the touch of this sauce that turns out spectacular!

She makes the recipe in a Dofeu casserole because of the cooking it provides, but if you have a classic casserole at home you can prepare it the same way. Enjoy!

We are in the peak of hunting season, and there is no doubt it's the best excuse to delight our diners, at this Christmas time, with special recipes based on birds that have been raised in the wild, feeding on what nature provides, far from feed and hormones.

Today we'll do it with some wonderful Woodcocks. Keep in mind that the Woodcock is considered "the Queen" of Birds, and a cult bird for gastronomes.

This migratory bird from the Nordic countries is somewhat smaller than a partridge. You'll recognize it by its long, fine bill, about 6-8 cm. It's often also called Chocha and Sorda despite its fine hearing. In French "Becasse" because of its fine bill and in English "Woodcock", or moor fowl. On the plate it has sublime, enveloping meat with a high mineral content.

On this occasion, we are going to stew them in a casserole, specifically in the Cocotte Doufeu from Le Creuset, because its condensation system never lets the meat dry out, despite the long cooking times. The 90 minutes these woodcocks will be stewing won’t dry out their meat, since the temperature contrast between the very hot lid and the ice placed on it makes the juices the woodcock releases while cooking condense when the steam touches the lid and fall back down like rain onto them. This way, the intensity of their flavor is enhanced. Careful, I can hear you.... yes, this casserole can also be used as a traditional casserole (without putting ice on the lid and without taking advantage of the condensation feature), that's how I do it.

As for the sauce, sublime, as it couldn't be otherwise coming from an exquisite palate like David de Jorge's. Wine, apple, chocolate... a small touch of Sherry Vinegar and another of Armagnac.

We will marinate the Woodcocks cold overnight, with a mixture of red wine, with a touch of Sherry Vinegar, another of Armagnac, aromatic herbs and vegetables. The prior marination of the Woodcocks will not only help tenderize the meat, but will allow extraction of the juices from the Woodcock itself.

If you can't find Woodcocks, which are one of the few birds whose breeding in captivity hasn't been achieved, or you simply don't like game, you can substitute any bird you prefer. From poussin for a more everyday recipe, to partridges, guinea fowl, pheasants for more special occasions... Of course, always adjusting cooking times until the meat is done to perfection.

The presentation is special, because it's Christmas and we must take care of it to the fullest. A bed of its intense reduced sauce, a thin toast of bread, a layer of foie or my cuit, a layer of caramelized onion and the breasts and legs of the Woodcock soaked in their sauce. As a counterpoint, a touch of Champagne strawberry jam. As I said, a sublime dish.

INGREDIENTS (for 4 servings)

For the stewed Woodcocks:

• 4 woodcocks, plucked and whole.
• 2 very finely chopped spring onions
• 1 leek, chopped
• 6 shallots, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 tied bunch of parsley stems
• 4 black peppercorns
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
• 1 sprig of fresh sage
• 0.75 l. young red wine
• 1/2 glass of Armagnac or Brandy
• 1/2 glass of Vinagre de Jerez Edmond Fallot
• 1 small reinette apple, grated
• 1 l. meat stock
• 2 ounces dark chocolate
• 2 slices of fried bread
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter.
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

For assembly:

• 8 slices of Pato Serrano foie gras
• 4 tablespoons very softened onion
• 4-8 toasts of day-old bread, sliced very thin and toasted
• Tiptree Champagne Strawberry Preserve
• Ice for the Doufeu casserole

PREPARATION

1. Since these are game birds and not intensively farmed, they will come with feathers. So first, we pluck them. Keep in mind you should always pull the feathers toward the head to avoid tearing the skin. This operation should preferably be done over a bucket of water so the feathers don't scatter.
2. Once skinned, we singe them over the flame to burn any small feathers or quills that may remain and that we couldn't remove manually. We clean them, keeping the giblets finely chopped in a bowl and truss them so they don't lose their shape and cook evenly.
3. At this point, you can keep the head, removing all feathers and skin and inserting the beak through the crop. And the legs, cutting the tendon so they can fold neatly. I didn't do that, although that presentation is the most traditional.
4. We put a casserole and place the woodcocks breast-side down; cover with the spring onion, shallots, leek, and very finely chopped carrots, the aromatic herbs, black pepper, wine, sherry vinegar, Armagnac, and olive oil. Cover the casserole and refrigerate for 12 hours.
5. On the other hand, if you're going to use the giblets, we slice them very thin with a knife and mix them with a splash of vinegar and another of red wine. Cover and refrigerate as well.
6. The next day, we strain the woodcocks and reserve the marinade liquid on one side and the vegetables on the other.
7. We put our Cocotte Doufeu from Le Creuset over medium heat and when it's hot, add the olive oil and butter. Season the woodcocks with salt and pepper and brown them well on all sides. Remove and set aside.
8. In that same fat, brown the vegetables well and add a bundle of parsley stems.
9. Add the grated apple and continue sautéing.
10. If using the giblets, sauté them until they have cooked down. Add the chocolate and the fried bread.
11. Place the woodcocks in and cover them with the marinade liquid and the stock.
12. When it comes to a boil, cover the casserole and place the ice on the lid. Stew for about 90 minutes over low-medium heat so that it maintains a gentle, steady simmer.
13. When our woodcocks are ready, turn off the heat and remove them from their sauce, letting them warm to room temperature. Here you can split them lengthwise, or as I did, remove the breasts on one side and the legs on the other.
14. Blend the sauce and reduce part of it over low heat.
15. Return the Woodcocks to the sauce and give them a quick warming before serving.
16. For each diner, put a layer of reduced sauce, a couple of thin toasts on top. Cover each toast with a couple of slices of foie and a spoonful of softened onion.
17. Arrange the two breasts and two legs of each woodcock on each assembled toast. Drizzle with a little more sauce and accompany with a drop of Champagne strawberry jam.
18. A luxury dish for a special occasion.

Cocotte Dofeu Le Creuset

Tips:

- Woodcock is usually stewed using its giblets, which are considered the most exquisite bite, as happens with duck liver, chicken livers and many similar cases. It's no coincidence that this animal has one of the cleanest intestines in nature, since it practically doesn't retain food inside long enough. If you don't dare, simply discard them, but don't tell anyone.

Happy Holidays to everyone....
Enjoy,
Virginia.