Provincial Dinning

Rustic Shepherd’s Pie with Quail

It has been cold so I have been in the mood for something hardy, but I also am also always looking for an opportunity to work with new ingredients and concepts. You may find it hard to believe, but I had never made a shepherd’s pie or worked with quail, so I decided to kill two birds with one stone. This recipe requires several steps, but in the end it was well worth it.

You will need:

6 quail
4-6 fair sized potato peeled and diced
¾ cup sliced carrots
3 stalks of leek, chopped well
¾ cup morel mushrooms
1 stalk sliced celery
¼ diced onion
½ cup finely chopped green onions
Several sprigs of parsley finely chopped
Black pepper
Salt
Thyme
2 cloves of garlic
1/3 cup brandy
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons of butter
Milk
1 pie crust

Filling:

• To start place the quail in a large stock pot with 4 cups of water, onions, celery, brandy, thyme, 1 clove or garlic crushed, black pepper, salt and butter. Simmer and stew until quail are done.
• Remove quail from the stock and strain the liquid, removing the solids and saving the stock.
• Add carrots, leek, and mushrooms to the stock and simmer until the carrots are nearly done.
• Break down the quail and return meat to the stock.
• Thicken the stock until the consistency of gravy by adding flour dissolved in cold water and simmering.
• Remove from heat.

Potato Topping:

• In a stock pot boil potatoes along with the green onions and parsley and finely minced garlic and a pinch of salt.
• Drain off water and mash potatoes along with sour cream and about ¼ cup milk.

Finishing the Pie:

• Use a deep pie pan with a basic pie crust.
• Add the filling to the crust; it should be a thick stew.
• Top with mashed potatoes. Spread the potatoes evenly over the entire pie.
• Bake for 1 hour at 350˚
• Enjoy with a nip of brandy!