Woodcock with truffle and Armagnac recipe

Ingredients

• 1 woodcock
• 5 g fresh truffle (3 slices, the remainder chopped)
• 30 ml oil
• 60 g butter
• 30 ml Armagnac
• 20 ml Madeira
• 20 g goose liver
• 1 heart shaped crouton cooked in butter (at service)
• 40 ml chicken jus
• Seasoning

• ½ head celeriac
• 250 ml milk
• 250 ml cream seasoning
• 50 g butter, diced

• 30 g celeriac purée
• 9 pieces soufflé potatoes

1. Clean the woodcock and remove the gizzards. Place a slice of truffle under the skin on each breast and leave the entrails inside the carcass.
2. Truss the woodcock and pierce beak through the legs, season.
3. Heat the oil and a third of the butter in a hot pan and quickly sizzle the bird until lightly golden, flame with half of the Armagnac and Madeira and roast in the oven at 190°C for 6 minutes.
4. Remove from the pan and allow to rest for 5 minutes, remove excess fat from the pan, set the pan aside for later use.
5. Remove the innards from the carcass and pass through a sieve along with the goose liver, and mix in a third of the butter. Season and add a little of the chopped truffle, this is your farce.
6. Spread a third of the farce onto the fried crouton and finish with a slice of truffle.
7. Place a third of the farce into the roasting pan and flame with the remaining Armagnac and Madeira, reduce and add the chicken jus.
8. Cook for 5-10 minutes and pass through a fine sieve, mount with remaining butter and season, set the jus aside to keep warm.
Celeriac Puree
9. Top, tail and skin the celeriac and cut into a large dice.
10. Place into the pan with the milk, cream and season.
11. Bring to the boil and simmer until tender then drain.
12. Place the celeriac into a blender with a little of the cooking liquor and the diced butter. Whizz until perfectly smooth, correcting as you go with the cooking liquor.
13. Season, pass through a sieve and set aside to keep warm for service.
To Serve
14. Cut the head of the bird at the neck and remove the legs and then breast, setting the latter aside to keep warm.
15. Split the head in half through the centre of the beak and pipe in the remainder of the farce on the inside.
16. Place the crouton in the centre of the plate and dress the legs and breast on top.
17. Lay the head pieces on to the plate, crossed over one and other decoratively, and pour a little of the jus over the breast.
18. Pipe spheres of celeriac mousse around the plate and finish with the soufflé potatoes.