Roast Ortolans

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •13 by 9-inch (33 by 23 cm) heavy metal roasting tray
• •Instant-read thermometer with a narrow probe
• •Small saucepan or kettle for keeping the reserved salted water hot
• •Small square of aluminum foil for shielding the leaves if needed

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the quail

   Use only inspected, farm-raised quail. Wild ortolan buntings are protected and must never be trapped, purchased, possessed, or cooked. Take the quail from the cold 20 minutes before roasting, check that every cavity is empty, and pat the birds thoroughly dry inside and out. A wet surface dilutes the little fat the bird carries and prevents the vine leaf from holding closely.

2. 2

   Wrap in vine leaves

   If the vine leaves are fresh, cut away the thick stems and blanch the leaves in boiling water for 15 seconds, just until supple, then drain and dry them. If they came from brine, rinse them well and dry them instead. Lay each leaf vein-side up, set one quail breast-side down near its centre, and fold the sides and tip snugly around the body. Turn the parcel seam-side down. The leaf should embrace the bird, not swaddle it in several heavy layers.

3. 3

   Prepare the salted tray

   Heat the oven to 500°F (260°C), with a rack in the upper third, and give it a full 30 minutes to reach its fierce heat. Dissolve the salt in the water. Pour ½ cup (120 ml / 120 g) into a heavy 13 by 9-inch (33 by 23 cm) metal roasting tray and keep the remaining ¼ cup (60 ml / 60 g) hot. You want a shallow film across the tray floor, not a bath. Arrange the wrapped quail seam-side down with a little air between them.

4. 4

   Roast under fierce heat

   Roast without basting for 8 minutes, then begin checking. The leaves should be darkened and blistered at their edges, with burnished skin visible where each wrapping opens. Continue roasting for 2 to 6 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted through the leaf into the deepest part of the breast, without touching bone, registers 165°F (74°C). The original four to five minutes belonged to a much smaller bird and cannot be transferred safely to quail. If the leaves blacken before the quail are ready, cover them loosely with foil. If the tray dries, pour the reserved hot salted water down one side without wetting the birds. Ça se rattrape.

   The shallow salted water is part of the method, not an invitation to poach the birds. It keeps the tray humid enough to check rapid drying while the fierce heat bronzes the quail.
5. 5

   Rest and serve bare

   Lift the tray from the oven and leave the quail in their vine leaves for 3 minutes. Serve two birds to each person on warm plain plates, either still wrapped or with the leaves folded back to reveal the burnished skin. Do not spoon over the tray liquid, and add no bacon, butter, gravy, truffle, foie gras, garnish, or side dish. The austerity is deliberate. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Ortolan bunting is not an exotic ingredient to be found through a determined supplier. It is a protected wild bird. Buy small farm-raised quail from a licensed butcher or reputable market, and refuse any seller offering wild songbirds.
• •Choose quail of roughly equal weight so they finish together. Birds much larger than 5 ounces (140 g) need longer roasting and may dry before their centres become safe; this spare preparation suits small quail best.
• •Use edible leaves from an untreated grapevine or properly packed brined vine leaves. A leaf taken from an ornamental or sprayed vine has no place around food.
• •The salted water must remain a shallow film. Too much water boils the underside; none at all abandons the entry’s central protection against rapid drying. A compact metal tray gives the small quantity enough coverage.
• •The classical note permits a hollowed half-lemon as a serving basket, but it is presentation rather than flavour. This rendering leaves it out because the stronger instruction is plain service with nothing beside the bird.
• •These quail are best eaten immediately. Refrigerate any leftovers within 2 hours and keep them for no more than 2 days; reheat covered at 325°F (165°C) until the centre again reaches 165°F (74°C).

Advance Preparation

• •Frozen quail may be thawed in the refrigerator 24 hours ahead. Keep them covered and cold, then remove them only 20 minutes before roasting.
• •The vine leaves may be rinsed or blanched up to 2 hours ahead, dried, and held between barely damp clean towels.
• •Do not roast the quail in advance. The brief fierce cooking and immediate service are the preparation, not brigade scaffolding that can be moved earlier.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 155g)