📝 About This Recipe
This iconic French masterpiece, immortalized in the film 'Babette's Feast', features succulent deboned quails nestled within delicate, buttery puff pastry 'coffins.' Each bird is stuffed with decadent foie gras and black truffles, then bathed in a rich Madeira and truffle reduction. It is the ultimate expression of culinary luxury, offering a symphony of earthy, savory, and silky textures that transport you straight to 19th-century Paris.
🥗 Ingredients
The Sarcophagi (Pastry)
- 2 sheets Puff Pastry (high-quality all-butter variety, chilled)
- 1 Egg (beaten with a splash of water for egg wash)
The Quail and Stuffing
- 4 pieces Quails (semi-boneless, with rib cage removed but wings/legs intact)
- 4 ounces Foie Gras (fresh or canned, cut into 4 equal batons)
- 1-2 ounces Black Truffle (thinly sliced; fresh or preserved in jars)
- 3 tablespoons Unsalted Butter (divided)
- 2 tablespoons Cognac (for deglazing)
- 1 pinch Salt and White Pepper (to taste)
The Sauce
- 1/2 cup Madeira Wine (preferably a Sercial or Verdelho)
- 1 cup Veal Demi-Glace (high-quality concentrated stock)
- 2 sprigs Fresh Thyme
- 1 teaspoon Truffle Oil (optional, for an extra aromatic boost)
👨🍳 Instructions
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1
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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2
Cut four 5-inch circles out of the puff pastry. Then, cut four 5-inch rings (using a 4-inch cutter inside the 5-inch) to create 'walls' for your sarcophagi. Stack a ring onto each circle, using egg wash as glue. Prick the center base with a fork.
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3
Brush the tops of the pastry rings with egg wash and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and puffed. Use a knife to gently remove the 'lid' (the puffed center) and set aside. Keep the cases warm.
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4
Season the inside of the deboned quails with salt and white pepper. Place a baton of foie gras and two slices of truffle inside the cavity of each bird.
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5
Carefully fold the quail skin over the stuffing and truss with kitchen twine so the birds hold a neat, oval shape.
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6
In a heavy skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Sear the quails on all sides until the skin is golden brown, about 5-6 minutes total.
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7
Transfer the skillet to the oven (or move quails to a roasting pan) and roast for 8-10 minutes. The quail should be cooked through but still moist. Remove from the oven and let them rest for 5 minutes.
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8
While the quails rest, discard excess fat from the skillet. Return to medium heat and deglaze with Cognac, scraping up the browned bits (fond).
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9
Add the Madeira wine and thyme sprigs. Reduce the liquid by half.
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10
Stir in the veal demi-glace and any remaining chopped truffles. Simmer until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
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11
Whisk in the final tablespoon of cold butter to give the sauce a glossy finish. Remove the thyme sprigs and season with salt if necessary.
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12
To assemble, place one warm pastry case on each plate. Snip the twine off the quails and nestle one quail inside each 'sarcophagus'.
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13
Generously spoon the truffle and Madeira sauce over the quails, allowing it to soak into the pastry. Place the pastry 'lid' at an angle on top and serve immediately.
💡 Chef's Tips
Ensure your puff pastry is very cold when it goes into the oven to achieve maximum rise. Ask your butcher to 'semi-debone' the quails for you to save time and ensure the skin remains intact. Do not overcook the quails; they are small and lean, so they can dry out quickly if roasted beyond 10-12 minutes. If fresh truffles are unavailable, use high-quality truffle carpaccio in oil rather than synthetic truffle oil for a better flavor profile. Resting the birds is crucial to ensure the juices stay inside the meat rather than making the pastry soggy.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Pair with a vintage Pinot Noir from Burgundy or a rich, earthy Pomerol. Serve alongside buttered haricots verts (French green beans) with toasted almonds. A side of glazed baby carrots or a parsnip purée complements the sweetness of the Madeira. Finish the meal with a simple green salad dressed in a light champagne vinaigrette to cleanse the palate. For the full 'Babette' experience, serve on warmed porcelain plates with silver cutlery.