Delicious March Recipes

By Natoora Natoora
04/03/2011

Roasted quails wrapped in pancetta e lardo

Serves 4

Quail

2 garlic cloves
Handful of sage
1 sprig of rosemary
1 sprig of thyme
Salt and pepper
200ml beef stock
2 Carrots
1 onion
Extra virgin olive oil
250gr sliced pancetta e lardo
8 quails
2 stalks of celery
250ml red wine

Pre heat the oven to 200*C.

Finely chop some sage, rosemary, thyme, 1 garlic clove, salt and pepper and rub over the insides and outsides of your quails.

Stuff the birds with the chopped pancetta e lardo. Put a sage leaf on the bird’s breast, then wrap the quail in a slice of pancetta e lardo. Tie together with some kitchen string.

Roughly chop the carrots, onions and celery. Heat the olive oil in a pan, and sear the quails on all sides, together with the vegertables and the remaining garlic clove, crushed.

Season with more sage, rosemary and some salt, then add the wine and let evaporate for a few minutes.

Transfer everything into a roasting dish in the oven. Cook for about15-20 minutes.

Keep the quails warm on the side (and remove the string), add the stock to the roasting juices and vegs and cook for 10 minutes, then sieve and strain. Add some flour to thicken if necessary. Check the seasoning.

Serve the quails with some rice and the gravy.

Kale Bubble and Squeak

Serves: 4

Bubble Squeak

1kg maris piper potatoes
250g kale
250g pancetta
300g leeks

Dice the potatoes and chop the kale, removing the tough inner stalk. Boil them together for 10-12 minutes until tender. Drain.

While they are boiling, dice the pancetta and slice the leekes. Fry them together for 8 minutes. Add the potatoes and kale and fry for 1-2 minutes.

Crush lightly with a potato masher and season with a good amount of salt and pepper. Mould into patties.

Mache, Walnut and Roquefort Salad

Mache

200gr cooked beetroot
200gr white chicory
250gr mache
1 apple
1 large lemon
a handful of peeled walnuts, chopped
30gr Roquefort cheese (optional)
Oil
Salt and pepper

Peel and chop the cooked beetroot. Trim, wash and cut the white chicory into rings. Wash and dry the mache. Peel, core and thinly slice the apple, then drizzle with lemon juice.

Place all ingredients in a salad bowl. Prepare a vinaigrette with the remaining juice of the lemon, oil, salt and pepper. If you like, mix in the roquefort cheese.

Coarsely chop the walnuts, add to the salad and dress with the vinaigrette, mixing well.