Roast Woodcock With Madeira Sauce

Why not use up your Woodcock from the season with this fantastic recipe?



Serves 2
Ingredients:

• 1 Brace Woodcock
• 2 Shallots, finely diced
• 2 medium Carrots, peeled and grated
• 2 rashers Streaky bacon
• 50g Butter

For the sauce:

• 1 tbsp plain Flour
• 10fl oz(1/2pint) Chicken stock
• 1 schooner Madeira
• Seasoning
• Bubble and Squeak to serve

Method:

1. Pluck the Woodcock but don’t draw the birds. Bring the beak round just behind the legs and skewer through the body and out the other side - this is the traditional way of preparing the birds for cooking.
2. Place the shallots and carrots into a small roasting tin and sit the birds on top. Divide the streaky bacon between them and place across the breasts and dot with the butter. Roast in a hot oven: 200 degrees C Gas Mark 6 for 30 minutes, basting frequently as this helps to prevent them from drying out.
3. Now make the bubble and squeak by frying mashed potatoes and any cooked greens together turning once.
4. Remove the birds from the oven and allow to rest in a warm place for a minimum of 10 minutes while you make the sauce: add the flour to the roasted vegetables in the roasting tin and stir together to combine all the ingredients. 
5. Place the tin on the hotplate over a low heat and gradually add the stock stirring continuously to prevent the mixture from sticking. 
6. Once the mixture has thickened add the Madeira and bring to the boil. 
7. Pour the sauce through a sieve into a saucepan, pressing the vegetables through the sieve as much as possible, scraping any pureed vegetables from the under side and add to the sauce. 
8. Season to taste and reduce the sauce a little if you like it slightly thicker.
9. Serve the Woodcock on a bed of bubble and squeak with the sauce poured over. Enjoy!

Wine Matching

Nick Stephens from Bordeaux Undiscovered has kindly matched their Chateau La Fleur Morange 2001 as the perfect pairing for this dish. With its blend of 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc this well balanced full bodied and impressive wine has great structure and sophistication. It is deep dark crimson purple in colour with notes of blackberry compote, liquorice, ripe raspberries, spice, smoke and minerals. La Fleur Morange 2001 will captivate all the flavours from the woodcock and make your experience of this dish unforgettable.

Out of interest Robert Parker called it a sleeper of the vintage and gave it a score of 92 points out of 100. He also went on to say "The impressive aromas are followed by a dense, full-bodied, beautifully textured St.Emilion with great purity as well as palate presence".

It is drinking beautifully now and will cellar for several years to come.