Wildebeest restaurant: Quail Pappardelle with Chestnuts

Quail Pappardelle with Chestnuts
By Chef Pekka Tavela, Wildebeest restaurant
Serves 2

Quail Pappardelle with Chestnuts is a luxurious dish made with quail confit, which is rich and satisfying, especially if added to fresh pasta. If you don’t have fresh pasta, good dried pasta will also work.

Ingredients
2 whole quails (available at any good butcher), skin patted dry
1L duck fat (also available at a good butcher)
1 small onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, finely diced
4 sprigs fresh thyme, tender leaves picked
2 cups white wine
1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp fresh sage, chopped
¼ cup chicken stock
2 Tbsp butter
2 chestnuts, peeled
1 Tbsp olive oil
8-9oz fresh pappardelle
salt

Directions

To make quail confit:

1. Preheat oven to 250F
2. In an ovenproof pot, heat up the duck fat on the stove until it just begins to bubble.
3. Gently and carefully lower the whole quails in the duck fat. Cover with ovenproof lid, and place in oven, checking at 1hr. Remove from oven when quail is easy to pull apart.
4. Let quail cool in duck fat. While meat is still slightly warm, shred quail meat, removing bones and fat. Set meat aside. (Discard bones or save to make stock.)

To make pappardelle:

1. Heat a pot on medium heat, then add onions and garlic. Sweat the onions until soft in pot, and season with a pinch of salt.
2. To onions add thyme, shredded quail, and white wine. Cook until reduced to small amount of liquid left in pot.
3. Meanwhile, in a separate pot, cook pasta according to package directions. Or if using fresh pasta, add it to boiling water. Fresh pasta will float when ready (approx. 2 min.) Drain.
4. To quail mixture, add chicken stock and butter and continue cooking.
5. When pasta is ready, add to pot with quail and stir. Add parsley and sage
6. Check seasoning and add salt if necessary.
7. Split pasta into two bowls. Finish with olive oil and crushed chestnuts. Serve immediately.