Ingredients

quantity		ingredient		step
4		quails		1
4		slices of fatty bacon (Schinkenspeck)		1
50 g		butter		1
40		cloves of garlic		3
250 ml		milk		3
150 g		onion		4
159 g		carrot		4
250 ml		dry white wine		4
200 ml		chicken or veal broth		4
		salt		4
		pepper		4
		butter		4
		butter		5
300 g		mushrooms, preferably cèpes, otherwise Swiss Browns		5
1 Tbsp		chopped parseley		5
2 Tbsp		oil		7
1 Tbsp		bread crumbs (optional)		7
4		hash browns or pommes croquettes		8

Preparation

1. Wash the quails and dry them with a paper towel, salt and pepper them, line them up in a buttered flat oven dish, with their legs folded (or dressed with some string, if you prefer). Cover them with the slices of bacon.

2. Pre-heat the oven to 220°C (on circulating air). Place thermometer in the breast flesh of one of the quails and bake them for about 30 minutes resp. until the thermometer shows 75°C. Keep warm.

3. In the meantime, peel the garlic cloves. This is easy when you first press on them a bit with the flat side of a knife. Cook them in the milk for 10 to 15 minutes, then drain, rinse them to take off the milk, rinse again and drain. Set aside.

4. Chop the onion and the carrot, fry them gently in the oil for about 10 minutes, until softened. Add the wine and the broth, bring to boil, salt and pepper, cook until the liquid has reduced to half. Pour through a strainer, pressing out all liquid from the vegetables. Just before serving, bring to boil again, check the seasoning and rectify, if necesary. Whisk in a bit of butter.

5. Clean the mushrooms and cut into slices of about 1/2 cm thick. Chop the parsley.

6. Just before serving, gently fry the garlic cloves in a bit of butter for a couple of minutes, until slightly golden. Take them out and add them to the sauce.

7. In the same pan, fry the mushrooms for a minute or two, then add the parsley and the bread crumbs, if desired. Remove from the heat and add salt and pepper. Serve in a separate dish.

8. Dress the quails on a dish, surrounded by the crispy bacon slices. Serve the sauce in another separate dish. Serve with fried hash browns or croquettes.