Faisan à la Croix de Berny

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Roasting pan with rack
• •Instant-read or probe thermometer
• •Poultry shears and narrow boning knife
• •Fine sieve and damp muslin
• •Electric mixer or sturdy whisk
• •Medium saucepan for poaching
• •Small saucepan for sauce chaud-froid brune
• •Wire rack set over a rimmed tray
• •Shallow tray for setting aspic
• •Chilled oval serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Roast the pheasant

   Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Dry the pheasant thoroughly, season it inside and out with 1 teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the white pepper, then rub it with 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 28 g) of the butter. Set it breast-side up on a rack with the neck, heart, and gizzard beneath it, reserving the liver for another use. Roast for 12 minutes, lower the oven to 375°F (190°C), and continue until the thickest part of the breast reaches 158°F (70°C) and holds there for 3 minutes, while the inner thigh reaches 165°F (74°C), about 20 to 30 minutes more. If the legs lag, cover the breast loosely with foil and continue. The source asks for the bird underdone; at home this means moist and supple after chilling, never unsafe. Rest for 15 minutes, then chill uncovered on its rack until thoroughly cold, at least 1 hour.

   Cool the bird promptly. It should pass from warm to refrigerated within 2 hours, because it will be served cold and receives no final cooking after reconstruction.
2. 2

   Make the foie base

   Beat the foie gras with 4 tablespoons (60 ml / 56 g) of the softened butter until perfectly smooth, then press it through a fine sieve. Taste before seasoning because a cooked foie gras bloc already carries salt. Divide off 8½ oz (240 g) for the parfait de foie gras truffé and mix in the finely chopped two-thirds of the truffle. Shape this dense portion into a low oval and chill it. Reserve 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 15 g) of the cream, then whip the remainder only to soft folds and work it gently into the remaining foie base to make the mousse de foie gras. Reserve about 3½ oz (100 g) of mousse for the quail and keep the rest cold but spreadable. If the foie base turns grainy or leaks fat, warm the bowl briefly over barely warm water and beat in the reserved cream a teaspoon at a time. Ça se rattrape.

   Mousses are the light, moulded family named by the source. The cream should lighten the foie without making it loose; soft folds, a gentle hand, and proper chilling provide the structure.
3. 3

   Stuff and poach quail

   Fill each semi-boneless quail with about 1½ tablespoons (25 g) of the reserved foie-gras mousse. Fold the bird back into shape and secure the opening with kitchen string or a wooden pick. Deglaze the pheasant roasting pan with 1 cup (240 ml / 240 g) of the measured stock, scraping up the fond, then transfer everything to a saucepan with the remaining stock and the roasted neck, heart, and gizzard. Hold the liquid between 180 and 185°F (82 and 85°C), lower in the quail, and poach gently until the centre of the stuffing reaches 165°F (74°C), about 12 to 16 minutes. Lift the quail onto a rack, blot them dry, and chill thoroughly. Strain the stock, skim away every trace of surface fat, and reduce it to 5 cups (1.2 L / 1.2 kg).

4. 4

   Clarify and set aspic

   Cool the reduced stock in an ice bath until lukewarm. Froth 2 egg whites and stir them into the stock, then heat very slowly, stirring until the whites coagulate and rise into a raft. Stop stirring, open a small hole in the raft, and keep the stock at the barest simmer for 15 minutes. Ladle it through damp muslin into a clean pan without pressing the solids. If the stock clouds because it boiled, cool it, whisk in the reserved third white, and clarify it once more. Ça se rattrape. Reserve 1¼ cups (300 ml / 300 g) of clear stock for the sauce. Bloom the gelatin in the cold water for 5 minutes, then dissolve it in the remaining hot clarified stock. Spoon a little onto a chilled saucer; it should set firmly enough to cut while remaining tender on the tongue. Pour 1½ cups (360 ml / 360 g) into a shallow tray to set for the cushion and garnish, and keep the rest barely fluid over tepid water.

5. 5

   Build brown chaud-froid

   Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 28 g) of butter in a small saucepan, add the flour, and cook a roux brun (brown roux) over medium-low heat until it reaches a deep hazelnut colour and smells toasted, not scorched. Whisk in the reserved clarified stock gradually, then simmer until reduced to about ¾ cup (180 ml / 180 g) and thick enough to coat a spoon. Whisk in ¾ cup (180 ml / 180 g) of the warm aspic, season carefully with salt and white pepper, and strain. Cool the sauce chaud-froid brune with frequent stirring until it falls from the spoon in a smooth, heavy ribbon. If it sets before the quail are ready, warm it gently; if it runs thin, cool it another few minutes. Never correct a cold coating sauce with raw flour.

6. 6

   Rebuild the pheasant

   Set the thoroughly cold pheasant breast-side up. Raise each breast fillet in one piece, slice it across the grain about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick, and keep every slice in order. Leave the legs and wings attached. Working through the body cavity with poultry shears and a narrow boning knife, cut away the breastbone, ribs, and backbone without piercing the outer skin. Fill the hollow carcass with the chilled truffled parfait, pressing it into a natural breast shape. Spread a thin coat of foie-gras mousse over the breast area, return the sliced fillets in their original order, and pipe or spoon more mousse into every gap. Smooth the outline without burying the meat, then chill the reconstructed bird for 45 minutes, until the mousse is firm.

7. 7

   Glaze the pheasant

   Place the cold pheasant on a rack over a tray. Cool the liquid aspic to about 80°F (27°C), when it is still pourable but beginning to cling, and spoon over one very thin coat. Chill for 8 to 10 minutes, then repeat twice more until the bird has a clear, even gloss and the fillet pattern remains visible. If the first coat runs straight off, either the bird is too warm or the aspic is too hot. Chill both, collect the jelly from the tray, remelt it gently, and begin again. Ça se rattrape. Thick single coats turn cloudy and rubbery; several thin coats give the proper shine.

8. 8

   Coat the quail

   Blot the chilled quail once more so their surfaces are completely dry. Spoon the sauce chaud-froid brune over each bird, allowing the excess to drain, and chill until set. Arrange small diamonds of black truffle and salted tongue on the coating, then seal the decoration beneath a thin spoonful of clear aspic. If the chaud-froid drags into ridges, warm it by a degree or two; if it pools at the feet of the birds, let it cool and thicken before trying again.

9. 9

   Assemble the cold dish

   Chop the aspic from the shallow tray into small, irregular jewels. Build a low oval cushion of chopped aspic on a chilled platter and settle the glazed pheasant upon it. Arrange the four quail evenly around the bird, then fill the spaces between them with the remaining chopped aspic. Chill the completed dish for at least 30 minutes. Let it stand at cool room temperature for 15 minutes before carving so the foie gras softens slightly and its seasoning opens, but never leave it unrefrigerated for more than 2 hours. À table!

Chef Tips

• •The original ring of eight larks belonged to a much larger formal service. Four semi-boneless quail preserve the scale, silhouette, stuffing, poaching, and chaud-froid finish for four guests without pretending that protected wild birds are ordinary market poultry.
• •Use fully cooked foie gras bloc, not raw liver and not a coarse pâté. It gives the dense, silken base needed for both parfait and mousse, while the divided preparation preserves the source's contrast between a firm filling and a lighter outer layer.
• •A preserved whole black truffle is an honest choice when fresh truffles aren't in season. Drain and dry it well. Truffle paste changes the texture of the mousse and cannot provide the clean black pieces required for decorating the quail.
• •Aspic should taste slightly more seasoned while warm than seems necessary, because cold quiets salt and aroma. Test a spoonful on ice before committing the whole batch.
• •Serve with thin toasted brioche and a sharply dressed bitter-leaf salad on separate plates. A dry Champagne has the brightness to meet foie gras, cold game, and gelatin without tiring the table.

Advance Preparation

• •For the calmest service, roast and chill the pheasant, make the foie-gras preparations, poach the quail, and clarify the aspic the day before. Keep every component covered at or below 40°F (4°C), then reconstruct and glaze the dish on the day it is served.
• •The completed platter may be assembled up to 8 hours before dinner. Cover it loosely without touching the aspic and keep it refrigerated.
• •Any remaining liquid aspic or sauce chaud-froid brune can be remelted once over gentle heat. Never boil either preparation after the gelatin has been added.
• •Eat leftovers within 1 day and keep them continuously refrigerated. Do not freeze the assembled dish, because thawing breaks the mousse and makes the aspic weep.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 700g)