Roasted Quail With Mushroom & Truffle Stuffing

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Rinse quail under cold water and pat quail dry. Season inside of quail with a little salt & freshly ground white pepper. Spoon in mushroom mixture & skewer or carefully turn over & place quail in a parchment lined moulds in a roasting pan or on a baking sheet. Coat outside of quail with vegetable or olive oil & season with a little salt & pepper. Roast quail breast side up for 15 minutes. Remove ring & parchment paper. Baste quails with pan juices and continue to cook for another 5 – 10 minutes. Allow quail to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Slice chantrelle & portabello into ¼ inch dice. Cut shimijis if large, others can be left whole if small.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil & 2 tablespoon butter in a large fry pan. Add garlic & mushrooms (you may have to do this in small batches as not to overcrowd the pan). Saute mushrooms until golden brown. Season with salt & freshly ground white pepper. Deglaze pan with dark chicken stock. Continue to cook until mushrooms have absorbed all of the liquid. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In a separate fry pan heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Saute pancetta & onions until onions are light brown. Deglaze pan with aged sherry vinegar and continue to cook for another 3 – 5 minutes. Remove from heat, strain off fat, & allow mixture to cool.

In a mixing bowl, combine mushrooms, onions & pancetta. Add chopped truffle, truffle oil, & thyme leaves. Adjust seasoning & refrigerate until ready to use.

In a small saucepot over medium heat add honey & caramelize. Deglaze with blueberry vinegar and add reduction. Allow sauce to reduce by two thirds. Whisk in olive oil & adjust seasoning. Keep warm until ready to use.