Quail Kiev Cutlets with Pumpkin Sauce and Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

• Butter 5 oz
• Garlic 0 oz
• Parsley 0 oz
• Pumpkin Liqueur 5 fl oz
• 33% Cream 0 qt
• Quail Egg 2 pieces
• Potato 5 oz
• Milk 0 fl oz
• Chicken Egg 2 pieces
• Wheat Flour 0 oz
• Breadcrumbs 0 oz
• Green part of leeks 1 piece
• Shallot 4 pieces
• Vegetable Oil 0 qt
• Salt to taste
• Ground Black Pepper to taste

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1

Prepare the green butter for the filling. Separate the leaves from the parsley and chop them finely. Mince the garlic with a knife. Mix with softened butter (100 g) and refrigerate.

Step 2

Prepare the sauce. In a saucepan, combine pumpkin juice with cream and reduce until it reaches 1/6 of its original volume (to the consistency of drinking yogurt). Season with salt and pepper.

Step 3

Peel the potatoes, cut them into random pieces, and place them in salted water to boil.

Step 4

Prepare the components for the cutlet. Remove the legs from the quail (these can later be used for broth, sauce, or sautéed separately). Carefully slice the breast from one side of the body: starting at the top and guiding the knife along the rib bones, cut the breast meat down to where it connects with the wing. Then, lay the breast over the wing and, cutting through the bone from the inside, detach the breast along with the wing.

Step 5

Remove the first joint from the wing.

Step 6

Carefully trim the meat at the base of the wing and clean the bone. Also, prepare the other half of the breast.

Step 7

Place the pieces of chicken breast bone-side up on a cutting board, cover them with plastic wrap, and pound them with a mallet until the meat is very thin, almost to the thickness of a sheet of paper. The wrap will prevent the meat from being pierced through, but if there are any holes, you can carefully seal them with your fingers.

Step 8

Turn the patties over with the bone side down, generously season with salt and pepper. Using two tablespoons, form quenelles from the green butter and place them in the center of the patties.

Step 9

Cover the dumplings with meat on one side, then hold the mixture in your palm and shape it into a patty, carefully sealing the edges so that the green butter is enclosed within the meat shell.

Step 10

In one bowl, pour in the flour; in another, combine the egg with the milk to make the egg wash; and in the third, place the breadcrumbs. First, coat the patties in flour, then thoroughly dip them in the egg wash, and finally cover them with breadcrumbs. There's no need to shake off the excess—each patty should be fully coated in breadcrumbs.

Step 11

Prepare a second layer of breading. Dip the patties back into the egg wash and coat them in breadcrumbs. This time, there's no need to try to cover the patties too tightly: just make sure the breadcrumbs stick as much as they will.

Step 12

Heat oil for frying in a large pot to 365°F. If you don't have a thermometer, drop a cube of bread crust into the oil. If the oil starts bubbling around it and the cube browns quickly, the oil is hot enough. Carefully lower the patties one by one into the fryer and cook for 3–4 minutes until golden brown. Drain on a few layers of paper towels to remove excess oil.

Step 13

Then place the patties in a preheated oven at 365°F for 5 minutes.

Step 14

Prepare the puree: drain the water from the potatoes by pouring them into a colander. Shake well to remove all the water. Mash the potatoes and pass them through a fine sieve to achieve a smooth consistency without lumps.

Step 15

In a saucepan, place the butter (40 g), pour the milk over the butter, and melt them together, adding salt to taste. Pour the hot mixture into the puree and mix well.

Step 16

Prepare parchment packets for the patties: slice the green section of the leek into 6-7 cm pieces crosswise. Then, cut into thin strips.

Step 17

Gather the leek stalks into small bundles, tie them with chives, and trim the ends. Place parchment paper pouches over the bones of the cooked cutlets.

Step 18

To serve, heat the sauce on the stove. Generously place mashed potatoes on the plate, top with 2 cutlets, and drizzle the pumpkin sauce around the edge.