Roast Quail with Foie Gras, Armagnac & Grapes

Yield 4
RECIPE Ingredients
Recipe notes
This quick-and-easy recipe for quail is accented with foie gras, Armagnac, and fruit - a particularly flavorful combination from Southwest France.
RECIPE Preparation
  1. Combine mousse of foie gras with 1 teaspoon of the Armagnac and the raisins in a bowl. Refrigerate until firm, about 10 minutes. Spoon foie gras filling into quail cavities and flatten the birds slightly. Close cavities with toothpicks and season with salt and pepper.
  2. Preheat broiler with rack about 8 inches from heat.
  3. Melt duck fat in a skillet over high heat. Add quail, half of the grapes and brown quail, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer birds to broiler pan, breast-side up.
  4. Add remaining Armagnac and stock to skillet and cook over high heat until the liquid is slightly reduced and the grapes are soft, about 3 minutes. Transfer contents of the skillet to a blender and purée. Return sauce to skillet, add remaining grapes and cook over high heat until the sauce is reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
  5. Heat about 1 tablespoon duck fat in a medium skillet. Add chanterelles, season with salt and pepper, sauté until just cooked through but still firm.
  6. Meanwhile, broil quail until just pink at the bone, about 4 minutes. Transfer quail to a platter and remove toothpicks. Add any accumulated quail juices to sauce, and pour over quail. Serve at once with grapes.