Scotch Woodcock

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Small heavy saucepan, about 1 quart (1 litre)
• •Balloon whisk
• •Rimmed metal baking sheet
• •Foil
• •Grill or broiler with an adjustable top rack
• •Fine grater
• •Wide spatula
• •Sharp cook’s knife

Instructions

1. 1

   Ready the fierce heat

   Set the grill or broiler rack 3 to 4 inches (8 to 10 cm) below the element and heat it fully for at least 10 minutes. This is your salamander, and the top shelf matters: glacer, to glaze quickly under fierce overhead heat, should take less than two minutes. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, not parchment, which can scorch so close to the element. Grate the Parmesan finely, chop the well-dried capers, and keep the extra boiling water beside the stove.

2. 2

   Toast the bread

   Lay the bread on the prepared sheet and toast it under the grill until deep gold on the first side, about 60 to 90 seconds. Turn and toast the second side until dry and crisp at the surface but not burned, another 45 to 75 seconds. Watch continuously, since overhead heat moves from gold to black with very little ceremony. Set the toast aside on the sheet while you make the sauce.

3. 3

   Build the butter sauce

   Work the softened 3 tablespoons of butter and the flour together until completely smooth. This is a beurre manié, flour kneaded into butter, and any dry pockets left now become lumps later. Bring the 3/4 cup boiling water to a full simmer in a small heavy saucepan, then whisk in the beurre manié a little at a time. Simmer gently for 2 minutes, whisking, until the flour tastes cooked and the sauce is thick enough that a whisk drawn through it leaves a furrow that closes slowly. If it lumps, take it off the heat and whisk hard; if stubborn specks remain, press it through a fine sieve. Ça se rattrape.

4. 4

   Sharpen and mount

   Whisk the lemon juice, chopped capers, and anchovy purée into the thickened base and let it bubble gently for 30 seconds. Do not add salt, since the anchovy, capers, and Parmesan carry plenty. If the sauce is loose, reduce it now, before adding the remaining butter. Take the pan completely off the heat and whisk in the 5 tablespoons of cold diced butter, one piece at a time, until the sauce is glossy, very thick, and fully emulsified. Do not boil it again. If it turns greasy, stop adding butter, whisk 1 tablespoon of the reserved boiling water in a clean warm bowl, then whisk the broken sauce into it one spoonful at a time. Ça se rattrape. If the finished sauce becomes too stiff to spread, loosen it with reserved hot water one teaspoon at a time.

5. 5

   Cover and glaze

   Divide the hot sauce among the four toast slices and spread it right to the edges in a generous layer about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick. Sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over every bit of sauce. Slide the sheet onto the top rack and glacer for 45 to 90 seconds, just until the cheese melts, bubbles at the edges, and takes dark golden spots. Do not step away. The sauce is already cooked and the bread already crisp, so lingering under the heat only splits the butter and burns the toast.

6. 6

   Cut and serve

   Move each glazed toast swiftly to a board and cut it crosswise into three small rectangles with a sharp knife, using clean downward strokes so the topping stays in place. Arrange the pieces immediately on a warmed platter and carry them straight to the table. Scotch Woodcock waits for nobody, and waiting is the only reliable way to spoil it. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose a close-crumbed white country loaf or pain de mie. An assertive sourdough fights the anchovy, while an airy loaf lets the sauce fall through; this toast needs enough structure to carry a generous coat.
• •Anchovy purée may be made by mashing drained oil-packed anchovy fillets until smooth. Prepared anchovy paste also works, but taste it first because salt levels vary. Add no separate salt until the finished sauce has met the Parmesan.
• •Grate Parmesan finely from a wedge. Coarse shreds melt too slowly during the brief glaze, and pre-grated cheese often stays dusty when the sauce beneath is ready.
• •Serve with a dry, brisk white wine or a small glass of sparkling wine. The acidity clears the butter and salt without competing with the capers.

Advance Preparation

• •The capers may be rinsed, dried, and chopped several hours ahead. Grate the Parmesan and refrigerate it covered, then bring it out while the grill heats.
• •The beurre manié can be kneaded together a day ahead and kept cold. Let it soften slightly before whisking it into the simmering water.
• •The bread may be toasted up to 1 hour ahead and left uncovered on a rack. Keep sauce and toast separate until the final glaze, since assembled pieces soften quickly.
• •Once assembled, the dish must be glazed, cut, and served immediately. Finished Scotch Woodcock does not keep well.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 145g)