QUAGLIE LESSATE E RIPOSATE SULL' ERBE SELVATICHE

Quaglie Lessate e Riposate sull' Erbe Selvatiche image

The game birds called grive that are the Sards' quarry in the macchia are too small to cook over the open fire, hence they are often poached in white wine, then laid to cool on a palette of myrtle leaves and twigs, with a coverlet of yet more of the leaves, all of them scenting the flesh with soft perfumes, a reprise of the machinations of the old bracconiere (page 226). Yet another cunning Sard prescription is to tuck the birds inside a paper or cloth sack fitted with the herbs. By fastening the sack securely, one creates a vaporous chamber in which they rest and cool, breathing in the sweet steam. Lacking myrtle bushes, use whole branches of rosemary and thyme, fat leaves of sage, and the fronds of wild or cultivated fennel as lush surrogate bedding for the little birds. A few cloves of barely crushed garlic seem to invigorate the herbs. Luscious to carry on a picnic, one might prepare the quail-or game hens, a chicken, or a fat capon, adjusting the poaching times accordingly-the evening before, and next day carry along the sack of birds readied for lunch.

Yield serves 6

Number Of Ingredients 8

Ingredients

1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
1 bottle dry white wine
24 to 27 leaves fresh sage
12 farm-raised quail, cleaned; their livers reserved for another use
12 to 15 large branches of rosemary
8 to 10 branches of thyme
Several wild fennel fronds or the fronds of a bulb of fresh fennel
3 fat cloves garlic, their skins intact, lightly crushed

Steps:

In a large soup kettle, bring to a simmer 2 quarts of water and the sea salt. Add the bottle of white wine and permit the liquid to return to a simmer.
Place a leaf of sage inside the cavity of each bird. Slide four or more of the quail into the simmering liquids-as many as will fit comfortably. As the liquids once more return to a gentle simmer, lower the flame and poach the birds for 10 to 12 minutes, until their breast flesh feels firm when poked a bit with a finger. The time will vary with the weight of the birds. If you've kept the liquid barely simmering and have resisted leaving the birds too long in their bath, their meat will be succulent, tender.
Have on hand a brown paper bag or a rededicated pillowcase. While the quail poach, ready the sack by laying it on its side and fashioning a cushion of the herbs and garlic. One cannot use too many herbs for this purpose.
Remove the quail from their poaching liquors with a large slotted spoon. Position the birds directly inside the herb-lined sack. Close the sack and continue the poaching process until all the quail are cooked and safely nested inside. If using chicken or capon, relieve the birds of their skins after the poaching process. Fasten the sack with some butcher's twine and leave it to rest at cool room temperature for 8 or 10 hours or as many more as your patience permits. A Sard will tell you to let the birds rest for two days.
When you are ready, serve the quail at room temperature as a starter course, presenting them on cushions of warm, just-toasted bread and glossing them with tears of good, green oil, flattering the savor of the herbed birds. Jugs of cold white wine are welcome.