Quail Beggars Purse with Port Wine Demi-Glace

Debone the quail on a clean cutting board using a sharp chef's knife, removing all breast and thigh meat while discarding bones, then cut the meat into uniform 1cm pieces. Wash your hands and sanitize the knife and cutting board immediately after handling raw poultry to prevent cross-contamination.

Submerge long fresh chive stems into a small saucepan of simmering water at 100°C (212°F) for 10 seconds, then transfer them immediately to a bowl of ice water to preserve elasticity and bright color.

Whisk cold water and cornstarch in a small mixing bowl until completely dissolved, add eggs and 2g fine sea salt, whisk until uniform without whipping excess air, and pass the egg mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a measuring pitcher.

Melt 15g unsalted butter in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat at 180°C (356°F), add the diced quail, season with 2g fine sea salt and 0.5g ground black pepper, and cook while stirring with a silicone spatula for 3 to 4 minutes until fully cooked through to a safe minimum internal temperature of 74°C (165°F), then transfer meat to a plate.

Add remaining 15g unsalted butter to the same medium sauté pan over medium heat at 160°C (320°F), add 40g minced shallot, diced chanterelles, and chopped thyme, and sauté for 5 minutes until all released mushroom liquid evaporates.

Pour cognac into the mushroom pan to deglaze, simmer for 1 minute until liquid is absorbed, stir in heavy cream and cooked quail meat, season with remaining 2g salt and 0.5g pepper, heat until bubbling, then remove from heat to cool slightly.

Preheat a 20cm non-stick skillet over low heat at 120°C (248°F) and use a pastry brush to apply a sheer film of clarified butter across the base and lower sides.

Pour approximately 50ml of strained egg batter into the warm skillet, tilting and rotating the pan immediately to distribute the batter into an even, translucent circular veil, and cook over low heat at 115°C (239°F) for 90 seconds until fully set and reaching an internal temperature of 71°C (160°F) without browning, then slide onto parchment paper. Repeat to yield four thin omelet rounds.

Mound one-quarter of the warm quail and mushroom filling (approximately 110g) directly into the center of each flat omelet round.

Gather the outer borders of each omelet upward toward the center in gentle, accordion-style pleats around the filling, then knot two blanched chive ribbons securely around the ruffled neck to seal each beggar's purse, trimming excess chive ends with a knife.

Combine tawny port wine and 30g minced shallot in a small saucepan over medium heat at 105°C (221°F) and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until the wine reduces by half to approximately 90ml.

Pour veal demi-glace into the port reduction and simmer over medium-low heat at 95°C (203°F) for 6 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a metal spoon.

Remove the saucepan from direct heat and whisk in 40g cold cubed unsalted butter, two pieces at a time, until completely melted and emulsified into a lustrous sauce.

Place the assembled beggar's purses onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and warm them in an oven preheated to 150°C (300°F) for 4 minutes to ensure core heat reaches 74°C (165°F) throughout.

Ladle 60ml of hot port demi-glace into the center of four shallow warmed serving plates, set one hot quail beggar's purse upright in the pool of sauce, and scatter minced flat-leaf parsley around the rim.