Stuffed Quail Gumbo by Cajun-Creole Chef John Folse

I was looking for a unique gumbo to try and came across this great menu created by Chef John Folse in 1987 for a banquet for French and American dignitaries in the port city of Le Havre, France.

The theme was the evolution of French cooking in the Louisiana Territory. "It will note what happened when Acadians of French descent (later called Cajuns) were thrown into the swamps of Louisiana," Mr. Folse said. "They had to cook whatever they could lay their hands on, like wild game, wild fish and wild spices including bay leaves from laurel trees and sassafras leaves, which they ground into powder."

"Creole cooking, however, was the food of the aristrocratic refugees from Europe," he continued. "It had flair. Many families brought cooks with them, along with spices from their homelands. In well-to-do homes a meal might consist of a soup course, a fish course, a meat course and dessert." Today, he said, the two styles have more or less merged.

The menu, a creditable expression of "nouvelle" Cajun-Creole, is the one that was be served in Le Havre: a quail gumbo; shrimp stuffed with crawfish flavored with Pernod, and legs of rabbit boned and stuffed with crabmeat and served with a light red-wine sauce. The menu amply proved Mr. Folse's point: that Cajun-Creole cooking can "retain its flavors while recharging its batteries in light of today's food habits." Most dishes were made lighter, for example. Instead of being served separately, as tradition dictates, the gumbo garnishes – rice, oysters and sausages – were used to stuff small, whole, boned roast quail; the slices of andouille floating in the gumbo were blanched to rid them of excess fat, and the stuffing for the shrimp contained very small amounts of butter and cream. The New York Times

So here we go with first dish: stuffed quail gumbo.  I will add the remaining menu over the next week so stay tuned.

Stuffed Quail Gumbo

Preparation time: 45 minutes

Cooking time: 50 minutes

stuffed quail gumbo recipe

Ingredients:

4 boned quail, about 3/4 pound total Salt to taste, if desired Freshly ground pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon, approximately, file powder (ground dried sassafras leaves)

16 tablespoons (1 cup) cooked white rice

8 thin slices smoked sausage, preferably andouille, although kielbasa may be used

4 tablespoons melted butter

4 oysters, shucked

1/4 cup melted butter

1 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1 tablespoon finely minced garlic

1 cup corn, peanut or vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups flour

8 cups rich chicken broth

1/4 cup oyster liquor

2 bay leaves

2 sprigs fresh thyme.

1.Put quail on a flat surface and sprinkle cavity of each with salt and pepper and a pinch of file powder.

2.Put rice in a bowl and add salt, pepper and a pinch of file powder.

3.Open up cavity of each quail and spoon 2 level tablespoons of rice in. Place one slice sausage and one oyster on the layer of rice. Spoon 2 more tablespoons rice into each cavity, pressing down with fingers. Press all around openings of cavities to seal.

4.Arrange quail breast up and close together in one layer in a baking dish. Sprinkle breasts with salt, pepper and a pinch of file powder. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the melted butter on top of each quail.

5.Combine onion, green pepper, celery and garlic in a mixing bowl and set aside.

6.Bring enough water to boil in a saucepan to cover four remaining slices of sausage. Add sausage slices and simmer gently about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

7.Heat the oil in a wide, heavy skillet and add the flour, stirring rapidly all around bottom with a wire whisk. Cook, stirring constantly, until flour turns light caramel in color. Reduce heat and continue stirring. Pay strict attention to the color, which will now deepen rapidly. The flour, when ready, should be dark brown; it should not blacken. Total cooking time is about 6 minutes.

8.Immediately add onion mixture and continue stirring vigorously 3 to 4 minutes. Add broth while stirring rapidly. Bring to boil and cook, stirring, about 3 minutes. Add the oyster liquor, bay leaves and thyme sprigs and let simmer about 35 minutes. Be sure to scrape bottom of pan to prevent sticking and lumping.

9.Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450 degrees.

10.Place quail in oven and bake 30 minutes or until breasts are nicely browned.

11.Carefully transfer quail to the simmering liquid and continue cooking 5 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Serve one quail and one slice of sausage with equal amounts of the gumbo liquid in four soup bowls.

Yield: 4 servings.

Courtesy: Chef John Folse