Quail terrine with morels, truffles, pistachios, etc.

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 8 quail(s)
• ½ chicken, alternatively chicken breast
• 100 g lean veal
• 80 g butter
• 120 g liver(s) (goose liver or turkey liver)
• 40 g pistachios
• 40 g morels, dried
• 40 g truffles
• 1 tbsp cognac
• 1 tbsp port wine
• 1 tbsp gin
• 2 eggs
• sweet cream, to taste
• Bacon, thin slices
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour 15 minutes; Rest time approx. 5 hours; Total time approx. 6 hours 15 minutes

Use a small terrine mold (less than 1 L), as the quantity is not enough for decent pieces. I use two small molds, each of which can hold 3-4 stuffed quail breasts next to each other

Bone the quail (remove the bones). Do not cut the breast, but remove the bones in one piece. Debone half the chicken. Wrap the quail breasts in foil and refrigerate. For the marinade, mix the cognac, port wine, and gin well in a small bowl. Add the quail leg meat and chicken, along with 100g lean veal, to the marinade and let it marinate for 2 days. The meat should be covered, so you may need to add a little more liquid to cover it. After 2 days, wash the dried morels and let them swell in water, then remove them. Briefly fry the marinated meat, without the marinade, in a pan with a little butter. Deglaze with a dash of cognac. Run everything through the meat grinder (finest slice) and let it cool. Place 40g of goose liver, 2 egg yolks, and 80g of butter in a blender and mix into the puree. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve (it’s tedious; I don’t always do this; I blend for a long time). Season to taste and add salt and pepper if desired. Line a terrine dish with thin strips of bacon. Pour in half of the mixture, layering the truffle slices, pistachios, and morels. Fill the quail breasts with the remaining 80g of goose liver. Pour the second half of the mixture on top and add more pistachios, morels, and truffles (you can also place it vertically so it looks better when sliced). Cover the terrine with a thin layer of bacon. Heat the oven to 175°C. Heat a heatproof bowl with water in the oven (I pour hot water from the kettle). Place the terrine in a bain-marie (up to the top of the filling) and poach for about 1.5 hours. Then remove the terrine and let it cool. Loosen the edges with a sharp knife, turn it out, and slice it with an electric knife. This goes well with cranberries or a subtle sauce and baguette as well as champagne or a lightly bouquet-rich red wine.