Pilets (Pintails and Widgeons)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •35 x 25 cm (14 x 10 inch) heavy roasting pan or two 30 cm (12 inch) ovenproof skillets
• •Narrow-probe instant-read thermometer
• •Sturdy tongs
• •Sharp boning or carving knife
• •Warm oval serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the birds

   Inspect each bird carefully for pinfeathers and shot, then trim away any badly bruised tissue around pellet paths. Wipe the cavities and dry the skin thoroughly. Season inside and out with the salt and pepper, tie the legs loosely, and rub the birds with 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 28 g) of the softened butter. Leave them at cool room temperature for 20 minutes while the oven heats. Dry skin bronzes; damp skin remains pale.

   If the birds were hunted, feel along the flesh as well as looking for shot. A pellet discovered by a tooth is an exceptionally poor garnish.
2. 2

   Choose the canonical route

   The entry gives three distinct roads, not one preparation piled upon another. Continue below for the roast. For salmis, reach for the complete Salmis de Faisan (No. 1847), substituting these birds for the pheasant and following that preparation whole. For the Rouen treatment, reach for the complete Salmis De Caneton à la Rouennaise (No. 1763), substituting these birds for the duckling and following its separate carving and glazing sequence. Do not combine the two referenced preparations.

3. 3

   Heat oven and pan

   Set a rack in the upper third of the oven and heat it to 475°F (245°C). Put the empty heavy roasting pan or ovenproof skillets inside for at least 15 minutes. This fierce, stored heat is the home equivalent of the red oven: it sets the skin quickly before the lean breast has time to dry.

4. 4

   Roast by temperature

   Set the birds on one side in the hot pan and roast for 4 minutes. Turn them onto the other side for 4 minutes, then set them breast-up and spoon the foaming butter from the pan over the skin. Roast widgeons for another 4 to 7 minutes and pintails for another 7 to 11 minutes, checking early with an instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally into the thickest part of each breast without touching bone. Remove each bird separately at 130 to 135°F (54 to 57°C); resting will carry it toward 135 to 140°F (57 to 60°C). If a breast reaches temperature before its legs are tender, remove both breasts and return the legs and carcass to the oven for 5 to 8 minutes. Ça se rattrape. Waiting for every part to finish together does not.

   Standard food-safety guidance for wild poultry calls for 165°F (74°C). The classical pink finish assumes properly handled, intact birds and carries additional foodborne-illness risk; serve meat cooked to the standard safety temperature to pregnant, elderly, immunocompromised, or very young diners.
5. 5

   Rest without smothering

   Transfer the birds to a warm board and rest them breast-up for 8 minutes. Leave them uncovered or lay foil over them very loosely. A tight wrapping traps too much heat, drives the breast beyond pink, and softens the burnished skin. Resting is brief here because these small birds cool quickly.

6. 6

   Build the roasting jus

   While the birds rest, pour off excess fat from the roasting pan, leaving the bronze fond and about 1 teaspoon of fat behind. Set the pan over medium-high heat, add the hot water, and scrape up the clean browned deposits. Reduce until only 3 to 4 tablespoons remain and the jus looks glossy, then take the pan off the heat and swirl in the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 14 g) butter. If the pan contains black, bitter patches, leave them untouched and transfer only the clean drippings to a small saucepan. If the jus turns oily, whisk in a teaspoon of hot water off the heat. Ça se rattrape.

7. 7

   Carve and serve

   Remove the legs at their joints, then lift each breast cleanly from the keel bone. Leave small breasts whole; slice larger pintail breasts across the grain into two or three thick pieces. Arrange everything skin-up on a warm platter and spoon over the roasting jus without drowning the crisp skin. Carry it directly to the table. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Buy or obtain legally sourced birds that were chilled promptly after dressing. Pintails are generally larger than widgeons, but the thermometer governs the cooking, not the species name or the clock.
• •Do not stuff these birds. Stuffing delays heat at the cavity while the exposed breast races ahead, precisely the wrong bargain for lean wild duck.
• •A thermometer with a narrow probe earns its place here. Enter from the side so the tip sits in the centre of the breast; touching the keel bone gives a misleading reading.
• •If the breast accidentally passes pink, carve it thinly and serve it at once with the full measure of jus. It cannot be made rosy again, but careful slicing and butter protect what tenderness remains.
• •Pour a supple red with freshness rather than heavy tannin. Red Burgundy or a Cabernet Franc from the Loire has enough fruit for the game without bullying the small birds.

Advance Preparation

• •The birds may be cleaned, inspected, seasoned, and left uncovered in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours. The dry cold tightens the skin and helps it bronze; bring them out 20 minutes before roasting.
• •Set out the carving board, warm platter, measured hot water, and finishing butter before the birds enter the oven. Once roasting begins, the whole service moves quickly.
• •Roast the birds at the last moment. They lose heat and tenderness rapidly after carving, so this is not the part of dinner to hold while guests finish another glass.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 215g)