Name: Bécasse rôtie en salmis, choux rouge
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 200 ml (7 fl oz/1 scant cup) orange juice; 1 onion, finely chopped (minced); 300 ml (10 fl oz/1¼ cups) dry red wine; 4 woodcock, cleaned (ask your butcher for the livers and hearts); 1 carrot, finely chopped; 50 g (1¾ oz/3 tbsp) unsalted butter; salt and pepper; 50 ml (3 tbsp) vegetable oil; 1 star anise; 3 cloves; ½ cinnamon stick; 20 ml (6 tsp) brandy; 4 slices of white bread, crusts removed, lightly toasted; 1 shallot, finely chopped; ½–1 orange, sliced; 1 medium red cabbage, outer leaves removed, then cored and sliced; 300 ml (10 fl oz/1¼ cups) brandy; 1 celery stick, finely chopped; 40 g (scant 1½ oz/3 tbsp) brown sugar; 200 ml (7 fl oz/1 scant cup) dry red wine; 8 rashers (slices) of smoked streaky (fat Canadian) bacon

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Classic Koffmann

By Pierre Koffmann

Published 2016

About

According to some people, woodcock is the king of birds, largely because of its flavour but also because it’s an almost perfect example of nose-to-tail eating. I can’t say it’s my favourite game bird but if you’ve never tried it, it’s certainly an experience. The recipe here is based on the most traditional French way to serve woodcock: roasted whole with its innards – these are thought to contribute to its unique flavour – and its head. Once cooked, the guts are scooped out, spread onto to