Poached Quail Egg and Palacios Hot Chorizo on Crostini

Winner of the 2007 Professional Second Prize

Submitted by Whitney Flood, Bon Mélange Catering
Los Angeles, California

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients

6-8 quail eggs
2 cups duck fat (Vegetable oil can be substituted for duck fat)
6-8 ¼” slices of sourdough baguette, cut on a diagonal approximately ½” thick
1 link Palacios spicy chorizo
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil from Spain
1 tablespoon sherry wine vinegar from Spain
1 teaspoon pimentón
Maldon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a 1-quart pan, heat duck fat to 175 degrees.

Place baguette slices on a baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, season with salt and pepper and bake until golden brown and crispy, 8-10 minutes.

Make a simple vinaigrette with remaining olive oil and sherry vinegar; season with salt and pepper.

Peel the chorizo and slice thinly on the bias into 12-16 slices.

When the duck fat has reached 175 degrees, cut off the tops of the quail eggs with a very sharp paring knife and slide the eggs gently from the shell into fat. Cook 1 ½ -2 minutes, until white has set and yolk is still liquid. Carefully lift eggs out with a slotted spoon, rest briefly on a paper towel to absorb excess fat, and set eggs aside to cool 1 minute.

Arrange two slices of chorizo on each crostini and carefully transfer one quail egg on top.  Sprinkle with Maldon salt and pimentón, drizzle with sherry vinaigrette and serve.