Provencal cuisine
Quail on Menus

So there is a question from the Quail? Without a doubt. It has even been on the agenda for twenty-five years, on the agenda of ministries, although it has been resolved, as we have known, for a long time, in England, where the sale of Egyptian quail is free throughout. the year.
Let us hope that France will finally decide to admit in turn that quail should not be considered seasonal game, and that its sale cannot harm our national game in any way during prohibited times!
An important decision, since it would facilitate, at all times, the composition of our menus.

Quails on Sofa
We know how much the flesh of a young, plump quail has inspired gastronomic applications. Among so many memories present in my mind, the famous dinner given under the Second Empire, in one of the intimate salons of the famous Frères Provençaux restaurant, at the Palais-Royal, naturally stands out. I do not have to dwell on the well-known episode in which the witty actress Virginie Déjazet appeared in a surprise role reminiscent of certain royal feasts of the 15th century, where the Table became a veritable theater stage. What is important here is the culinary order of the menu, as it was communicated to me by Mr. Alexandre, who, in 1866, had already been directing the kitchens of the Frères Provençaux for many years.

MENU
Fresh caviar Muscovite blinis
Virgin Rooster Consommé with Swallows’ Nests
Trout medallions with carp milt coated in a creamy supreme sauce
Saddle of Grand Veneur Veneur and accompanied by a fine chestnut cream
Surprise followed by Quails on Sofa
Celery white salad
Greenhouse asparagus with Isigny butter
Crayfish à la Bordelaise
Pineapple parfait
Breton wafers,
the most beautiful fruits
Coffee Moka,
and fine and exquisite liqueurs from France
I regret having forgotten the list of great wines served. What I know is that they did honor to the dishes that preceded them. As for the mode of presentation of Cailles sur Canapé, it was undoubtedly not in its first edition. All we can say about it despite the rumors is that everything went very well.
I will therefore not return to it, except to point out the all the more interesting fact, since it is new, of the special application which was carried out subsequently. in memory of the great actress, and under the name of Caille à la Déjazet, and for which here is the recipe:

Quail à la Dejazet

Proportions and preparation for ten people.
Choose ten beautiful quails as big and fat as possible; empty and clean them carefully, salt them inside moderately; introduce into each a quarter of a medium truffle, slightly spicy; wrap them with a vine leaf, then a thin bard of bacon. Place them in a frying pan, such a size that the quails are a little tight in it; drizzle them with butter.
On the other hand, choose 250 grams of truffles, ripe, peel them carefully, cut them into strips, put them in a small saucepan with a spoonful of fine butter, season them lightly with salt and freshly ground pepper; add four spoonfuls of poultry ice cream.
Cut ten canapes from a slice of bread, one and a half centimeters thick, square in shape, a little wider and longer than the quail, hollow them out halfway, so as to give them the appearance of a small box; Place them in a flat pan, sprinkle them with clarified butter.
Then, pass through a fine sieve, 200 grams of foie gras parfait, put the resulting puree in a small saucepan, add three spoonfuls of melted poultry ice cream, a hint of grated nutmeg, a pinch of fresh ground pepper. Fifteen to eighteen minutes before serving, put the quails on the fire, give them ten to twelve minutes of cooking.
At the same time, lightly heat the truffles and the foie gras puree. Fry the croutons. Everything must be ready at the same time. Remove the quails from the pan, remove their vine leaves and the bacon, place them in a terrine of the necessary size and heated in advance. Immediately put the truffles on the quails, cover the terrine, keep warm.
Drain some of the butter from cooking the quails, loosen the bottom of the pan with a few spoonfuls of fine Armagnac and half a glass of white wine, reduce by 2/3 and add about a quarter of a liter of specially prepared veal jus for this dish; pour it boiling over the truffles. Cover immediately.
Garnish the hollow part of the canapes with the foie gras puree, place them on a very hot dish, cover them and send them at the same time as the quails. The maître d' in charge of the service must place a canape on a hot plate, and arrange the quail on this bed of foie gras mousse. Cover the quail with slices of truffles and one or two spoonfuls of their juice. A second maître d' will have to pass them, little by little, to each of the guests.

Preparation of veal juice.

Cut into large squares, weighing 50 to 60 grams, one and a half pounds of veal shank meat. Heat 75 grams of butter, add the pieces of veal; as soon as they begin to take on a slightly brown color, add three to four spoonfuls of hot water, let it reduce slowly as soon as the water has completely evaporated, add three to four spoonfuls of water again and a pinch of salt . Let it reduce very slowly, repeat the addition of water and continue the operation, always very slowly, until the meat is cooked. Finally, add a little more water or if possible white stock, so as to obtain two and a half deciliters of juice.

The pieces of shank used to prepare this juice can be used and prepared in different ways. The simplest is to add, after having extracted all the juice, a few spoonfuls of good tomato sauce and a strong pinch of chopped tarragon.

A word, finally, to restore to their truly distinguished and salutary rank, young, tender and fatty quails, whose flesh, of excellent flavor, excites the appetite, and is suitable for all ages.

A. Escoffier.