Bolas Winter Signature dish

[Bolas De Fraile]

I cook a lot of game in season, I think I invented this recipe. The principles are the same for Fowl,Rabbit or Hare, for the Rabbit and Hare you remove the back fillets.
Prep 24 hours before, pick a young pheasant (little spurs on the birds ankle) remove the breasts and place in a dish with a glug of madeira cover and put in the fridge.
Cut the rest of the bird into quarters.
Fry bacon in a casserole remove, fry the quarters remove, fry onions, garlic,carrots and celery then put the quarters and the bacon back in the pot, add red wine and the same quantity of chicken stock, simmer till the meat is tender do not season, strain liquid and reduce to a good sauce, remove all the meat from the bones and shred.
Make a bulb fennel and onion Marmalade
Make some savory crepes put grease proof between each one cover and put in fridge.
Mix the fennel and onion marmalade with the cooked meat season and cover put in the fridge.
23 hours later or 1 hr before you eat take everything out of the fridge.
Make a pillow by filling the crepe with the marmalade mix, melt some butter and oil in a fry pan and place the pillows seam side down and gently fry for about 20 mins, do not turn, it should have a crisp bottom only.
Place sauce on the heat and add a nut of butter, do not boil.
Heat oil in a fry pan and fry breasts to taste, rest then split horizontely and fan.
Pace the pillow on you plate, put the breast on top then run your sauce around.
This is a good diner party dish because after the prep 24 hours before it takes 30 mins on the night to finish, also I don't think you will find anyone outside my circle of friends who has had it before.

 

[Snip 13]

Now this sounds right up my alley! Lovely recipe

 

[purple.alien.giraffe]

Do you have a specific recipe you use for the crepes? I think this sounds good but I have no idea what fennel and onion marmalade would taste like. Probably fennel and onion.

 

[Selkie]

That sounds great!

 

[ChefJune]

WOW!

A few questions, Bolas.....

1. How big is the pheasant? (lbs)
2. How many fennel bulbs and how many onions for the marmalade?
3. What seasonings do you use outside of salt and pepper?
4. How many people does this serve?
5. How many pheasants would you estimate to serve 8 people?

Milles mercis.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

This sounds really good!

 

[kadesma]

Bolas beautiful recipe. It's one of those that make my mouth water. Thank you for sharing
kades

 

[Bolas De Fraile]

WOW!

A few questions, Bolas.....

1. How big is the pheasant? (lbs)
2. How many fennel bulbs and how many onions for the marmalade?
3. What seasonings do you use outside of salt and pepper?
4. How many people does this serve?
5. How many pheasants would you estimate to serve 8 people?

Milles mercis.

June for anything other than Patisserie I don't measure.A young pheasant should be about 2lbs dressed and one breast per person should do when you are serving a starter and pud.The breast is just the tease, the pillow is the substance, it should be about 2 to 3" thick to give good presentation of the pink fanned breast.
Marmalade, I use a 2:1 ratio so two onions to the same sized fennel bulb, thats what we like but play with it. When I am using hare I put more fennel in as the meat is stronger.
Just salt and check because of the bacon.

 

[Bolas De Fraile]

Do you have a specific recipe you use for the crepes? I think this sounds good but I have no idea what fennel and onion marmalade would taste like. Probably fennel and onion.

PAG I said crepes because the uk pancake is different to your. Mandolin 2 onions to one bulb, put in a heavy based pan with a splash of water, cartouche then put the lid on and cook it on the lowest heat possible for about 4 hrs. It tastes of sweet onion and aniseed heaven.

 

[Steve Kroll]

This sounds delicious - and elegant. I'm often looking for recipes to serve company.

 

[ChefJune]

June for anything other than Patisserie I don't measure.A young pheasant should be about 2lbs dressed and one breast per person should do when you are serving a starter and pud.The breast is just the tease, the pillow is the substance, it should be about 2 to 3" thick to give good presentation of the pink fanned breast.
Marmalade, I use a 2:1 ratio so two onions to the same sized fennel bulb, thats what we like but play with it. When I am using hare I put more fennel in as the meat is stronger.
Just salt and check because of the bacon.

How many pheasants do you do at a time? How many pillows to a plate?

 

[buckytom]

How many pheasants do you do at a time? How many pillows to a plate?

rofl!!!

i can picture bolas in a white smoking jacket, cigarette and single malt in hand, saying,"come to the bedroom dahling and we take a look...

but seriously, this looks to be a recipe from a master chef. thanks, bolas my bro.

do you hunt the beasties yourself???

 

[spork]

I've never tried pheasant, but my plate looks delicious.

 

[purple.alien.giraffe]

PAG I said crepes because the uk pancake is different to your. Mandolin 2 onions to one bulb, put in a heavy based pan with a splash of water, cartouche then put the lid on and cook it on the lowest heat possible for about 4 hrs. It tastes of sweet onion and aniseed heaven.

Thanks!

 

[Bolas De Fraile]

How many pheasants do you do at a time? How many pillows to a plate?

One young pheasant/guinea fowl between 2, 1 large hare/rabbit(wild) between 4, 1 pigeon per person, I would not use partridge(my favorite fowl) as the flavor is to delicate.
One pillow, the size of which should be in relation to your plate, the plate should be a white rimmed soup plate, this with the height of the dish, the deep, rich, dark sheen of the sauce that you monte au buerre, the dark breast that is fanned to reveal the pink moist inside laying supine on a golden pillow is visually not as good as my spam wellington

 

[Bolas De Fraile]

rofl!!!

i can picture bolas in a white smoking jacket, cigarette and single malt in hand, saying,"come to the bedroom dahling and we take a look...

but seriously, this looks to be a recipe from a master chef. thanks, bolas my bro.

do you hunt the beasties yourself???

Its my scarlet smoking trousers that give the game away.
Thanks for those kind words mate, I invented it years ago when I was staying in a guitte in Perigueux, the owner was a quite well known chef and cookery school owner, I was cooking a gougere for lunch when he visited for the rent, I did not know he was a chef, he tried a piece and said for a Brit it was quite good.I invited him and his wife to dinner two days later and gave them 5 courses including the recipe but made with wild pigeon.We then had Sunday lunch at his house and I had the honor of prepping for him from 8 am.He opened with the best terrine I have eaten, it was made 48 hrs before.The recipe is so simple.
I did shoot for the pot but not anymore my wife does not like it.

 

[purple.alien.giraffe]

Its my scarlet smoking trousers that give the game away.
Thanks for those kind words mate, I invented it years ago when I was staying in a guitte in Perigueux, the owner was a quite well known chef and cookery school owner, I was cooking a gougere for lunch when he visited for the rent, I did not know he was a chef, he tried a piece and said for a Brit it was quite good.I invited him and his wife to dinner two days later and gave them 5 courses including the recipe but made with wild pigeon.We then had Sunday lunch at his house and I had the honor of prepping for him from 8 am.He opened with the best terrine I have eaten, it was made 48 hrs before.The recipe is so simple.
I did shoot for the pot but not anymore my wife does not like it.

Cool story!