Chef Daniel Clifford took over the kitchen at Midsummer House in Cambridge 15 years ago. Prior to this, he spent the first 12 years of his career training in some of the best restaurants in the UK and France, including stints with Marco Pierre White in London and Jean Bardet in Tours. Daniel’s culinary style is characterised by modern cuisine, underpinned by classical French technique, which is emphasised by dedication to using the finest seasonal ingredients.
In 2002, Midsummer House was awarded its first Michelin star, followed by a second star in 2005. Most recently, on Monday 23 September 2013, Daniel and Midsummer House was awarded full five AA Rosettes in the 2014 Guide.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 x extra large quail
200g of purple seedless grapes
1 head of celery (peeled)
1 x loaf of white sour dough
200g of shallot purée
100g of raisins (brought to the boil in white wine)
50g walnuts (finely chopped)
50g of celery cress
100g pickled onions ( finely sliced)
200g Chicken parfait
200g Raisin purée
Confit quail legs
300g chippers choice potatoes
6 quail eggs
Method
Quail eggs
Rapidly boil the quail eggs for 2 minutes, 5 seconds and place into ice cold water.
Peel the shell from the eggs ensuring you do not damaged the eggs.
Potatoes
Put peeled chippers choice potatoes through the Japanese mandolin.
Drain the starch off the potatoes and begin to wrap the egg in the potato string until totally covered ready for deep frying.
Quails
Legs already confied.
Start by removing the wings, wishbone and guts of the quail.
Poach quail at 80 degrees c in chicken stock for 3 minutes.
Remove and season with salt.
In a hot pan add a little veg oil and start to caramelize the quail until golden brown all over, ensure thisis done quickly and rest the quail.
While the quail is resting cut the sour dough crouton to 2.5cm wide by 8cm long by 1.5cm deep
Colour the crouton in a pan with butter until golden brown on all edges.
Remove and allow to cool.
Cut a small dice (2mm) of sour dough and colour quickly in butter
Remove and drain.
Finely slice the grapes, peel celery and finely slice.
Reserve celery leaves and finely slice too.
In a hot pan sauté the celery, grapes and celery leaves for 30 seconds.
Season with salt then place to one side to build on the top on the quail breast.
Begin to assemble crouton by piping 3 dots of parfait and 2 dots of raisin purée on the base of thecrouton, carefully arrange shreds of confit leg meat, slice of raw grapes, slice of pickled onion, celerycress and chopped walnuts on the top.
Calve the quail breast and arrange the sauté celery and grapes on top of the breast, reassemble similarto that of scales on a fish.