Braised Quail And Caramelized Shallots With Soft Polenta Food

CARAMELIZED SHALLOTS

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a 12-inch ovenproof saute pan, add the shallots and sugar, and toss to coat. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the shallots start to brown. Add the vinegar, salt, and pepper and toss well.
• Place the saute pan in the oven and roast for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the shallots, until they are tender. Season to taste, sprinkle with parsley, and serve hot.

CARAMELIZED SHALLOTS

Steps:

• Peel shallots and cut lengthwise into 1/8-inch slices.
• Heat oil in a small saute pan over medium heat. Add the butter and shallots. Sprinkle with sugar and add salt and pepper to taste.
• Cook shallots until they begin to brown evenly, then turn heat down to low and continue to cook until very soft, about 10 minutes. Serve at room temperature.

SOFT POLENTA

Steps:

• Bring 3 cups water to a full boil in a heavy pot. Simmer the remaining water close by.
• Add the salt and rapidly stir the water with a whisk, creating a vortex. Continuing to stir constantly, add the polenta in a thin stream into the vortex.
• Continue to stir after all the polenta has been added, then lower the heat to a simmer rather than a boil.
• As the polenta thickens, replace the whisk with a long-handled wooden spoon.
• Add the 1 cup of remaining water and continue to stir. Break up any lumps with the back of the spoon pressed against the pot.
• Continue stirring the polenta, reaching to the bottom of the pot as necessary, until it gets thick and pulls away from the sides of the pot.
• Taste the polenta to test tenderness; add additional water if necessary. The polenta can take 15 to 60 minutes to cook properly, depending on its type.
• During the last 5 minutes of cooking, stir in the pepper and butter, then add the cheese.
• Remove from heat.
• If serving immediately, pour onto a large platter or into a bowl or individual dishes.

QUAIL MEATLOAF ON POLENTA AND BRAISED CABBAGE

Steps:

• To make the quail stock:
• Roast the reserved quail bones and skin in an ovenproof saucepan until the bones take on color. Transfer the pan to the stovetop and set over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, rosemary, and sage. Add the wine and let it evaporate. Add the water and simmer the stock until it has reduced to one-quarter its original volume; you should have about 1 cup of stock. Strain out the solids and reserve.
• To make the meatloaf:
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Grind the reserved quail meat in a meat grinder; you'll need 1 pound of meat. In a medium bowl, immerse the bread in the milk until it's soaked. Meanwhile, combine the quail meat, sausage, eggs, Parmesan, parsley, and 1 teaspoon of the sage in a large bowl. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Squeeze the bread to remove excess milk (discard the milk) and add it to the bowl. Mix well. Divide the mixture in half, and form each half into a loaf no wider than 3-inches in diameter. Roll each loaf in the breadcrumbs. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Melt 4 tablespoons of butter with the olive oil in a large ovenproof saute pan set over medium-high heat. When the butter solids turn brown, sear both meatloafs until browned on all sides (if they don't both fit, sear them one at a time, adding more butter for the second loaf). Add the shallots, garlic, sage sprigs, and rosemary to the pan. When the onion begins to color, add the wine, let it evaporate, and then add 3/4 cup of the quail stock.
• Bake until the juices run clear when pricked with a skewer, 45 to 60 minutes. Transfer the meatloaf to a clean plate, remove and discard the sage and rosemary sprigs, and make the sauce in the pan. Add the cream and use a hand blender to puree the pan sauce. Set the pan over medium heat and let it reduce to a pleasing saucy consistency.
• To make the cabbage:
• Heat the butter and olive oil in a large braising pan set over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, cook until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the cabbage and carrots, season with salt and pepper, and stir. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low heat. When the cabbage begins to wilt, add the wine, and let it evaporate. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of quail stock. Let the pan dry out, reduce the heat to very low, cover tightly, and braise until the cabbage is very tender and starts to color and stick to the pan, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• To serve:
• Cut the meatloaf into 1/3-inch thick slices and then cut each slice in half. Use an ice cream scoop to portion about 1/4 cup of polenta in the middle of a plate. Press a piece of plastic wrap on top and flatten the polenta to a circle that's about 4-inches in diameter and 1/4-inch thick. Fan the meatloaf slices over the polenta, scoop some braised cabbage alongside and spoon the sauce over everything. Finish with freshly ground pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.
• This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

BRAISED QUAIL AND CARAMELIZED SHALLOTS WITH SOFT POLENTA

Steps:

• MAKE THE POLENTA You can either follow the instructions on the package or use these instructions: In a deep, heavy pan, bring the water, lightly salted, to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. Beating continually with a whisk, add the polenta slowly and gradually. Stir constantly as you cook the polenta until it reaches the consistency of a creamy porridge, about 5 minutes. Stir in salt to taste and a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, then cover and set the polenta aside in a warm place until you are ready to serve. MAKE THE QUAIL Preheat the oven to 400F. Season the quail inside and out with salt and pepper, and place a bay leaf inside each one. Wrap each quail in a slice of pancetta, securing it with a toothpick. In a wide, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Cook the quail until they are lightly browned with crisp skin, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Sprinkle the wine over the quail. When the wine has evaporated, add the chicken stock and the shallots. Cover the pan with foil or an ovenproof lid and place it in the preheated oven. After 5 minutes, uncover, then cook for another 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven. Remove the quail and set them aside in a warm place. Skim the fat from the pan, then let the remaining juices simmer over low heat until they are reduced by half and the shallots are brown and burnished, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. To serve, divide the polenta among 4 wide soup bowls. Place a quail on top of each bed of polenta and spoon the shallots and sauce over the birds.

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS ON SOFT POLENTA WITH BAY LEAVES

Steps:

• Combine 2 cups hot water and mushrooms in small bowl. Let stand until mushrooms soften, about 30 minutes.
• Using vegetable peeler, remove peel (orange part only) from oranges in long strips. Squeeze juice from oranges; reserve peel and juice. Tie bay leaves, rosemary sprigs, and cloves in square of moistened cheesecloth.
• Heat 4 tablespoons olive oil in wide pot over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté until golden, about 12 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer onions to small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons oil to pot. Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper. Add 3 lamb shanks to pot. Sauté until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer to plate. Repeat with remaining shanks. Return onions to pot. Using slotted spoon, add mushrooms, then mushroom soaking liquid, leaving any sediment in bowl. Add orange peel and juice, herb bundle, wine, and tomato paste. Boil 5 minutes, scraping up browned bits.
• Return lamb to pot, arranging in single layer. Add broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; simmer 30 minutes. Partially uncover pot. Simmer until lamb is tender, turning every 15 minutes, about 1 1/2 hours longer.
• Transfer lamb to bowl. Tilt pot and spoon fat off top of sauce. Boil until sauce is thick enough to coat spoon lightly and is reduced to 5 cups, about 35 minutes. Discard herb bundle and orange peel. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Return lamb to pot, spooning sauce over to coat. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate lamb, uncovered, until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Rewarm over low heat before continuing.)
• Spoon polenta onto large platter. Arrange lamb atop polenta. Spoon sauce over lamb and serve.
• *Dried porcini mushrooms are available at Italian markets, specialty foods stores, and many supermarkets.

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND SHALLOTS

Steps:

• For lamb shanks:.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sliced onions and shallots and sauté until brown, about 20 minutes. Mix in 2 tablespoons chopped rosemary. Remove from heat.
• Sprinkle lamb shanks with salt and pepper; coat lamb with flour. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large skillet over high heat.
• Working in batches, add lamb shanks to skillet and cook until brown on both sides, about 10 minutes per batch. Using tongs, transfer lamb shanks to plate.
• Add 1 cup dry red wine to same skillet and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits.
• Pour into Dutch oven with onion mixture. Add remaining 1 1/2 cups red wine, canned beef broth, tomato paste and 2 bay leaves to dutch oven. Bring to boil, stirring until tomato paste dissolves. Add lamb shanks, turning to coat with liquid.
• Bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until lamb is almost tender, turning lamb shanks occasionally, about 1 1/2 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.).
• Uncover Dutch oven and boil until liquid is reduced to sauce consistency, stirring and turning lamb shanks occasionally, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• For Mash:.
• Peel potatoes and cut into 2-inch pieces. Peel and halve rutabegas and thinly slice. Peel parsnips and cut into 1-inch pieces.
• Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add potatoes, rutabagas and parsnips. Boil until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Drain well.
• Return vegetables to same pot. Mash until coarse puree forms. Mix in 3 tablespoons olive oil. Season vegetables to taste with salt and pepper. (Vegetable mash can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm over low heat, stirring frequently.) Transfer vegetables to bowl and serve.
• Spoon Potato and Root Vegetable Mash onto plates. Top vegetables with lamb shanks and sauce. Sprinkle lamb shanks with additional chopped fresh rosemary and serve.

BRAISED QUAIL

Steps:

• Clean the quail and pat dry.
• Place a slice of pancetta, a sage and rosemary sprig, and a sliver of garlic.
• Heat the oil in a large, lidded frying pan and brown the quail all over quickly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add extra rosemary and sage leaves and the white wine.
• Put the lid on, turn the heat down to low and cook very slowly adding more wine and chicken stock as needed. Cook until well done.
• Serve with polenta and a salad of radiccio or rocket if you want to.