Timbale de Cailles Tzarine

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Deep 8-inch (20 cm) springform mould, about 4 inches (10 cm) high
• •Rolling pin
• •Rimmed baking sheet
• •Small saucepan
• •Instant-read thermometer with a thin probe
• •Small funnel
• •Cold saucer for testing the gelée
• •Long sharp slicing knife

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the ordinary paste

   Combine the flour with the pastry salt. Rub in the 10 tablespoons of cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few lentil-sized pieces remaining. Add 6 tablespoons of ice water and gather the dough without kneading; if dry flour remains, add the final tablespoon a teaspoon at a time. The pâte ordinaire, the firm ordinary paste that supports the timbale, should hold together without becoming sticky. Divide it into two-thirds for the case and one-third for the lid, flatten both pieces, wrap, and chill for 1 hour.

   If the dough cracks after chilling, leave it on the counter for 5 minutes before rolling. If it feels greasy, return it to the cold. Butter, not extra flour, gives the baked case its tenderness.
2. 2

   Season the foie gras

   Keep the foie gras whole and cold. Mix the ½ teaspoon salt, pepper, and allspice, then season every surface evenly, pressing the spices on lightly rather than kneading or breaking the lobe. Insert one truffle quarter into the cavity of each dry quail. Do not heavily season the birds; the bacon surrounding their breasts supplies salt as they bake.

3. 3

   Line the mould

   Butter a deep 8-inch (20 cm) springform mould and wrap its exterior in two snug layers of foil. Roll the larger pastry piece about ⅛ inch (3 to 4 mm) thick and line the base and sides, leaving ¾ inch (2 cm) above the rim. Repair thin spots now with a pressed-on scrap. Coat the inside with overlapping bacon slices, carrying them across the base and up the walls with no broad gaps, and reserve enough bacon to cover the filling.

4. 4

   Pack the timbale

   Stand the seasoned foie gras in the middle. Arrange the four quails upright around it, cavity openings uppermost and breasts pressed against the bacon, placing them at four equal points so the finished timbale can be cut between the birds. Pack the five whole peeled truffles into the spaces around the quails. Lay the reserved bacon over everything in an overlapping round, enclosing the filling without crushing it.

5. 5

   Seal and chill

   Roll the remaining pastry into a round slightly wider than the mould. Moisten the exposed pastry rim with a little ice water, set the lid over it, and pinch the two layers together firmly before trimming and crimping. Cut a ½-inch (1 cm) slit in the centre for the Madeira gelée. Reserve the pastry scraps for repairs, then chill the assembled timbale for 20 minutes while the oven heats to 400°F (200°C), or 375°F (190°C) with a fan.

6. 6

   Bake the timbale

   Set the mould on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes. The pastry should be deeply bronze, and a thin thermometer inserted through the central slit into the thickest quail thigh should register 165°F (74°C). If the crust darkens too early, cover it loosely with foil. If a seam splits, press reserved pastry over the crack and continue baking; a crack discovered at the end can be patched and baked for 5 more minutes. Ça se rattrape.

7. 7

   Build Madeira gelée

   While the timbale bakes, reserve ⅔ cup (150 ml) of the cold veal stock. Sprinkle 4½ teaspoons (15 g) gelatin over ½ cup (120 ml) of that reserve and leave it to swell. Boil the remaining stock until reduced to 1½ cups (360 ml), add the Madeira, and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and dissolve the swollen gelatin in the reduction. Chill a teaspoonful on a cold saucer for 5 minutes: it must set firmly enough to cut, not merely wobble. If it slumps, bloom the reserved 1 teaspoon (3 g) gelatin in the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 ml) cold stock, whisk it into the rewarmed gelée, and test again. This is the step that decides the slice.

8. 8

   Fill while hot

   Let the baked timbale settle in its mould for 5 minutes. The gelée should be hot and entirely fluid but no longer boiling. Set a small funnel in the central slit and pour slowly, about ½ cup (120 ml) at a time, pausing between additions while the stock finds every space. Continue until the gelée remains visible at the opening. If a little seeps into the outer foil, stop for 10 minutes and try again; if it still runs, chill the timbale for 20 minutes, warm the gelée just until fluid, and continue filling.

9. 9

   Mature in cold

   Cool the filled timbale on a rack for no more than 1 hour, then refrigerate it uncovered until thoroughly cold. Cover once the crust and mould are cold, and leave it for 24 to 48 hours. The gelée firms, the foie gras settles, and the pastry absorbs just enough of the Madeira-scented juices to cut cleanly without becoming sodden. One cook, one stove, one evening of work, then the cold does the rest.

10. 10

    Cut between birds

    Release the springform while the timbale is fully chilled and transfer it to a serving platter. Follow the four spaces between the quails and cut through the pastry, central foie gras, truffles, and set gelée with long, gentle strokes, giving each serving one whole bird. Wipe the knife between cuts so the amber gelée and black truffle remain distinct. Let the portions stand for 15 minutes before serving. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Use raw foie gras, duck or goose, in one intact lobe. Cooked foie gras, mousse, or torchon will melt and disappear into the filling; the raw lobe must bake and set inside the timbale.
• •Fresh black truffles are the source recipe's standard. Outside their season, whole preserved black truffles are the classical pantry's honest answer; drain them, add their liquor to the veal stock, and subtract the same volume of stock. Truffle oil cannot replace the truffles or their structure.
• •Choose thin, flexible, unsmoked bacon. Thick rashers leave rubbery layers in the cold slice, while strongly smoked bacon overwhelms the quail, foie gras, and Madeira.
• •A commercial veal stock rarely carries enough natural collagen to set this timbale alone. Reduction restores its flavor, measured gelatin restores the body once supplied by the permanent stockpot, and the cold-saucer test settles the matter before filling.
• •Serve each quarter without decorative clutter. A dry Champagne or a mature white Burgundy has enough freshness for the foie gras and enough breadth for the truffles.

Advance Preparation

• •The pastry can be mixed and refrigerated 1 day ahead. Let it soften only until it rolls without cracking; it must remain cold enough to hold the tall sides of the mould.
• •The Madeira gelée can be prepared earlier on baking day and held at room temperature. If it begins to set, warm it gently until fluid without boiling it again.
• •The assembled raw timbale may wait covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours before baking. Keep the foie gras and quails properly cold.
• •The finished timbale requires 24 to 48 hours in the refrigerator before cutting. Keep it covered once cold, hold it at or below 40°F (4°C), and serve within 3 days of baking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 500g)