Compote of Small Birds with Juniper Cream

Name: Compote of Small Birds with Juniper Cream (Compote de Petits Oiseaux à la Crème de Genièvre)
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 6 shallots, sliced; 1 ounce marc or cognac; 2 large onions, sliced; Lemon juice to taste; Pepper from the mill; Salt; 2 tablespoons butter; 6 partridges or pigeons, or; 3 tablespoons sour cream; 1 cup heavy cream; 12 large quail; 12 juniper berries, crushed

Compote de Petits Oiseaux à la Crème de Genièvre

Preparation info

6
servings

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Savoie

By Madeleine Kamman

Published 1989

About

I observed Madame Folliguet, wife of the then-postmaster of Les Praz de Chamonix, prepare this dish while I was chatting with her one late fall day of 1959; since she had a large family, she was cooking on the side the most enormous tub of polenta I ever have seen.

Ingredients

6 partridges or pigeons, or
12 large quail
2 tablespoons butter

Europe
France
Main course
Savoie
Gluten-free
Mediterranean

Method

If you use partridges or pigeons, quarter them. If you use quail, leave the birds whole. In a large sauté pan, brown the birds or bird parts in the hot butter. Salt and pepper, add the chosen spirit and let it evaporate. Remove the birds to a plate.

To the pot add the onions, shallots, and juniper berries. Toss in the hot butter so the wet vegetables deglaze the pan well. Continue cooki