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Pot Roast Teal with buttered chanterelles and thyme

Written by Countryside Alliance | Jan 1, 2000 12:00:00 AM

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Medium

  • 4 oven-ready teals
  • 400g yellow leg chanterelles
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 large shallots
  • 4 sprigs thyme
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • vegetable oil
  • 50g butter
  • 250ml brown Chicken Stock
  • 100ml double cream

To prepare the TEALS – Check the teals for any feathers that need removing. Fill the sink with slightly tepid water, drop in the chanterelles and spin them around for a minute. Remove and drain in a colander placed over a bowl, then spread them out on a tea towel to dry them out slightly. Pick over the chanterelles, pulling off and discarding any stalks that are dirty. Peel the garlic. Peel the shallots and slice into thin rings. Pick the leaves from the thyme. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Cooking Method – Season the teals well with salt and pepper. Heat an ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat. Splash in some vegetable oil and brown the teals all over, then remove from the pan. Add half of the butter to the pan with the chanterelles and the whole garlic clove. Cook for 1 minute, then add the sliced shallots and cook for a further 2 minutes before placing the birds breast-side up on top. Place the pan in the oven and cook for 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the birds to rest for 5 minutes, then lift them out of the pan and discard the garlic. Tip the contents of the frying pan into a small saucepan, add the stock and the remaining butter and bring to the boil. Meanwhile put the cream into a bowl with the thyme leaves and seasoning and whisk just until the cream is firm enough to spoon out. Remove the breasts and legs from the birds and keep warm. To serve, pour the chanterelles and broth into 4 bowls. Place the teal breasts and legs on top and spoon over the cream.