Woodcocks in cocotte on foie toast

Today Virginia, from Sweet and Sour , brings us a delicious recipe, which is worth it not only to prepare woodcock, but will also serve to cook any bird, with the touch of this sauce that is spectacular!

The recipe is made in a Dofeu cocotte for the cooking it offers, but if you have a classic cocotte at home you can prepare it in the same way. Enjoy!

We are in the middle of hunting season, and there is no doubt that it is the best excuse to delight our guests, during these Christmas holidays, with special recipes, based on birds, which have been raised in freedom, feeding on what nature offers, far from feed and hormones.

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

This migratory bird from the Nordic countries is slightly smaller than a partridge. You can recognise it by its long, thin beak, about 6-8 cm long. It is also often called "Choch" and "Sorda" despite its fine hearing. In French "Becasse" for its thin beak and in English "Woodcock", or wild chicken. On the plate it has a sublime, enveloping meat and taste with a high mineral content.

On this occasion, we are going to cook them in a cocotte, specifically in the Cocotte Doufeu from Le Creuset , because its condensation system does not allow the meat to dry out at any time, despite the long cooking times. The 90 minutes that these woodcocks will be cooking will not dry out their meat, since due to the contrast in temperature between the very hot lid and the ice that is deposited on it, the juices that the woodcock gives off when cooking will condense when they touch the lid in the form of steam, and fall again in the form of rain, on them. In this way, the intensity of its flavour is enhanced. Mind you, I'm listening to you... yes, this cocotte can also be used as a traditional cocotte (without putting ice on the lid and without taking advantage of the possibility of condensation), I do it.

As for the sauce, sublime, as it could not 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.

The Woodcocks will be marinated overnight in a cold mixture of red wine, a touch of sherry vinegar , another of Armagnac, aromatic herbs and vegetables. The prior marination of the Woodcocks will not only serve to tenderize the meat, but will also allow the juices of the Woodcock itself to be extracted.

If you cannot find woodcocks, which are one of the few birds that have not been bred in captivity, or simply do not like hunting, you can replace them with any bird you like best. From young birds for a more everyday recipe, to partridges, guinea fowl, pheasants for more occasional recipes... Of course, always adjusting the cooking times until the meat is cooked.

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

INGREDIENTS (for 4 servings)

For the stewed woodcocks:

• 4 woodcocks plucked and whole.
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 1 leek, chopped
• 6 chopped shallots
• 1 carrot chopped
• 1 tied bunch of parsley stems
• 4 grains of black pepper
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
• 1 sprig of fresh sage
• 0'75 l. of young red wine
• 1/2 glass of Armagnac or Brandy
• 1/2 glass of Edmond Fallot Sherry Vinegar
• 1 small grated reineta apple
• 1 l. of meat broth
• 2 ounces of dark chocolate
• 2 croutons of fried bread
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of butter.
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

For assembly:

• 8 slices of Serrano Duck foie gras
• 4 tablespoons of very sautéed onion
• 4-8 slices of day-old bread, sliced ​​very thin and toasted
• Tiptree Champagne Strawberry Jam
• Ice cubes for the Doufeu cocotte

PREPARATION

1. Since these are game birds and not intensively farmed, they will come with feathers. So first, we pluck them. Please note that you must always do this by pulling the feathers towards the head so as not to tear the skin. This operation should preferably be carried out over a bucket of water, so that the feathers do not fly away.
2. Once peeled, we scorch them over the fire to burn off any feathers or stems that may remain and that we have not been able to remove manually. We clean them, keeping the finely chopped entrails in a bowl and tie them up so that they do not lose their shape and cook evenly.
3. At this point, you can keep the head, removing all the feathers and skin and inserting the beak into the crop. And the legs, cutting the tendon so you can bend them properly. I have not done this, even though this is the most traditional presentation.
4. Place the woodcocks in a cocotte with the breast side down. Cover with the spring onion, shallots, leek and carrots, chopped very finely, the herbs, black pepper, wine, sherry vinegar, Armagnac and olive oil. Cover the cocotte and place in the refrigerator for 12 hours.
5. On the other hand, if you are going to use the viscera, cut them very thinly with a knife and mix them with a splash of vinegar and another of red wine. Cover and put them in the fridge.
6. The next day, we strain the woodcocks and reserve the marinade liquid on one side and the vegetables on the other.
7. Place our Le Creuset Cocotte Doufeu over medium heat and when it is very 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 the same fat, brown the vegetables well and add a bundle of parsley stems.
9. Add the grated apple and continue sautéing.
10. If you use the viscera, sauté them until they are completely cooked. Add the chocolate and fried bread.
11. We add the woodcocks and cover them with the marinade liquid and the broth.
12. When it starts to boil, cover the cocotte and place the ice cubes on the lid. Cook for about 90 minutes, over a low-medium heat, so that it maintains a constant gentle boil.
13. When our woodcocks are ready, we turn off the heat and remove them from their sauce, letting them cool to room temperature. Here we can cut them in half lengthwise, or as I did, remove the breasts on one side and the legs on the other.
14. We blend the sauce and reduce part of it over low heat.
15. We return the woodcocks to the sauce and give it a blast of heat before serving.
16. For each diner, we put a layer of reduced sauce, a couple of thin toasts on top. We cover each toast with a couple of slices of foie and a spoonful of sautéed onion.
17. We place the two breasts and the two legs of each woodcock on each toast thus assembled. We drizzle with a little more sauce and serve with a drop of strawberry jam and champagne.
18. A luxury dish for a special occasion.

Le Creuset Dofeu Cocotte

Tips:

- Woodcock is usually cooked using its viscera, which is considered the most exquisite morsel, as is the case with duck liver, or chicken livers and so many other similar cases. Not in vain, this animal has one of the cleanest intestines in nature, since it practically does not keep food inside for long enough. If you don't dare, simply throw them away, but don't tell anyone.

Happy Holidays to all....
Enjoy,
Virginia.