Woodcock Breasts and Stornoway Black Pudding with Scrambled Duck Eggs

Woodcock breasts on black pudding with scrambled duck eggs on toast

Woodcock breasts, when cooked perfectly, are about as tender as any form of wild game can ever be. These succulent little gems are perfect served in many different ways but on this occasion, I decided to pair them with a couple of slices of the finest of all black puddings, Stornoway, from the Isle of Lewis. A couple of scrambled, farm fresh duck eggs on toast served as a perfect accompaniment and the cucumber and olive stuffed tomato halves added that final little bit of colour to the plate.

Cook Time

Prep time: 5 min

Cook time: 15 min

Ready in: 20 min

Yields: 1 serving

Cucumber, olives and garlic

Ingredients

• 2 skinless woodcock breast fillets
• 2 slices Stornoway black pudding
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 2 inch (5cm) piece of cucumber (English cucumber, US)
• 6 pitted black olives
• 1 large garlic clove
• Splash of extra virgin olive oil
• Pinch of oregano
• Salt and pepper
• 2 duck eggs
• Little bit of butter
• 1" (2.5cm) thick slice of wholemeal farmhouse bread
• Dried dill to garnish

Diced cucumber and olives are combined with garlic and seasonings

Method

It is a good idea to prepare the tomatoes and filling before you start cooking. Start by peeling the garlic clove and scraping the seeds from the cucumber with a teaspoon. Pour a little extra virgin olive oil into a small glass bowl. Finely dice the cucumber and olives and add to the bowl. Grate in the garlic clove and season with salt, pepper and a pinch of oregano. Mix well.

Very thin slice is taken from base of tomato

In order that the bottom half of the tomato can sit steady on the plate, it is necessary to take a very thin slice off the base. Do make this slice as thin as possible as you do not want to cut into the seed cavity of the tomato.

Halved and seeded tomato

If you wish, you could simply cut the tomato in half across the way with one traditional cut. In this instance, I halved it by making small cuts at alternating angles of 45 degrees all the way around the circumference and through to the centre. The tomato then fairly easily pulls apart. A knife should be used to gently free the seeds and pulp before it is carefully scooped out and discarded with a teaspoon.

Starting to fry black pudding and woodcock breasts

The woodcock breasts will take 2.5 to 3 minutes per side to cook (depending upon size) while the black pudding slices will take about 5 minutes each side. As the breasts require resting while the pudding slices don't, you should start them frying at the same time.

Pour a little vegetable oil into a non-stick frying pan and bring it up to a medium heat. Make sure you have removed any plastic rind from the black pudding! Season the woodcock breasts on both sides with salt and pepper and lay all items in the hot pan. Time the frying and carefully turn the breast fillets after 2.5 to 3 minutes. The black pudding slices should be turned after 5 minutes. When the breasts are done, remove to a plate and cover with foil to keep them warm while they rest.

Slice of wholemeal bread

The slice of bread you have cut from the wholemeal loaf should now be toasted.

Duck eggs ready for scrambling

Break the duck eggs into a small saucepan and add a little butter. Do not season at this stage. Opinions vary on this - even among so-called, "Experts" - but I have experimented extensively over the years and have long since concluded that eggs definitely scramble far better when they are seasoned only at the very end of the cooking process.

Plated toast and black pudding with tomatoes

Before you start to scramble the eggs, plate up your toast and lightly butter (optional), with a slice of black pudding laid on either side. The tomato halves can be filled with the cucumber and olives and placed either end of the toast.

Starting to scramble duck eggs

Put the saucepan on to a medium heat and use a wooden spoon to gently work the eggs as they scramble. Reduce the heat slightly and lift the pan briefly off the heat for a few seconds at a time to avoid overheating as the eggs start to set. When the eggs are almost but not quite done, remove the pan from the heat completely. Season with salt and pepper and continue to gently stir fold for a few seconds to finish scrambling. Spoon immediately on to the toast as the heat of the pan alone will quickly cause the eggs to over cook.

Scrambled eggs are added to toast immediately before service

Slice the woodcock breasts across the way at an angle and lay on top of the black pudding slices. Scatter a little dried dill over the scrambled eggs as a final garnish before service.

Wild Duck and Woodcock Breasts Platter

 

Wild duck and woodcock breasts with cheesy potatoes

Wild game of many different types are often incorporated together in pies - or perhaps terrines - but in this instance, I simply took two distinct types of game and cooked and served them in what I believed would be a complementary fashion. It was a couple of weeks ago now that I was fortunate enough to obtain some end of season wild duck and woodcocks and this is one of the dishes I came up with.

Cook Time

Prep time: 45 min (includes boiled potato cooling time)

Cook time: 45 min

Ready in: 1 hour 30 min

Yields: 1 serving

Ingredients

• 1 medium sized, baking type potato
• Salt
• 1 skinless wild duck breast
• 2 skinless woodcock breasts
• Black pepper
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 4 Brussels sprouts
• 2 slices of Scottish cheddar cheese, approximately same size as potato slices
• 1 farm fresh duck egg (or chicken egg, as fresh as possible)
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• Pinch of dried dill to garnish poached egg
• 2 teaspoons onion chutney (or similar, as desired)

Method

Wash the potato but do not chop or peel. Add to a pot of cold water and bring to a simmer for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.

Wild goose breast is put on to fry

When the potato has been cooling for about 15 minutes, pour a little oil into a medium frying pan. Season the duck breast with salt and pepper and put it on to fry over a medium heat for 5 minutes each side. It is important to time this and not simply go by an approximation. This cooking time has been tried and tested many times and you do not want to overcook the meat as it will very quickly become tough and unpalatable.

Woodcock breast are added to frying pan with duck

When the duck breast is turned, season the woodcock breasts and add them to the pan to fry for 2.5 minutes each side.

Add the sprouts to a pot of boiling, salted water and simmer for 10 minutes.

Cut the potato in half lengthways. Trim a thin slice off the skin/curved edge of each potato half that it can lay flat in the frying pan.

Potato discs are fried in meat juices

Lift the breast and woodcock breasts to a holding plate and cover with foil. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Lay the potato halves in the still hot pan with the larger flat area sides down first. Fry on medium to high for 2.5 minutes each side.

Add a couple of inches (5cm) of cold water to a small saucepan with the white wine vinegar. Put on to a high heat until the water starts to simmer. Do not add salt to the water.

Cheese slices are laid on frying potato slices

When the potato slices are turned in the frying pan, lay a slice of cheese on top of each one, season with a little black pepper and complete cooking in this way.

Break the duck egg carefully into a glass or cup. Hold the glass just above the simmering water (don't let it touch the water!) and gently pour the duck egg into the water in one smooth, fluid movement. Adjust the heat to simmer as gently as possible for 3.5 minutes. 

Duck breast and cheesy slices are plated

Lift the rested duck breast to the centre of an oval plate as shown and lay a cheesy potato slice at each end.

Woodcock and sprouts are added to platter

Drain the sprouts at your sink through a colander. Lift the woodcock breasts to a chopping board and cut in half at a slight angle with a carving knife. Lay two halves as shown on each cheesy potato slice. Arrange the sprouts either side of the duck breast with a spoonful of chutney between the sprouts on each side.

Poached duck egg is plate on duck breast sillet

A slotted spoon should be used to lift the poached duck egg from the water. Allow it to drain on the spoon for a few seconds before carefully laying on top of the duck breast. Season with a little salt and garnish with a little dill.

Beautifully pink woodcock breast fillet

The woodcock breasts in particular should be pink in the middle and beautifully, melt in the mouth tender.

Woodcock Breasts with Black Pudding

 

Woodcock breasts on black pudding and chutney

Like many wild game birds, woodcock are perhaps most commonly plucked before being roasted and served whole. Personally, I choose not to go down this road as almost all the meat is to be found on the breasts. I prefer therefore to simply pan fry the breast fillets as in this recipe or perhaps incorporate them with other game meats in such as a game pie or terrine.

Woodcock crowns, before and after under-skin membrane removal

To clean a woodcock, I simply remove the wings before pulling the entire crown free from the rest of the bird. You can then easily pick away the feathers and wash the whole crowns before peeling off any remaining membrane that is found under the skin and slicing the breasts off with ideally a fish filleting knife.

Cook Time (not including cleaning woodcock from start)

Prep time: 5 min

Cook time: 10 min

Ready in: 15 min

Yields: 1 serving

Ingredients

• 2 skinless woodcock breast fillets
• 2 half-inch (1.25cm) thick slices Stornoway black pudding, rind removed
• Vegetable or sunflower oil for frying
• Salt and pepper
• 1 egg, 7 to 10 days old
• Generous handful mixed salad leaves of choice
• 3 or 4 baby plum tomatoes, halved
• 2 teaspoons homemade tomato and onion chutney or similar

Frying woodcock and black pudding

Method

Put the egg into a small pot of cold water, ensuring it is fully covered. Put the pot on to a high heat until the water starts to boil then reduce the heat to simmer gently for 5 minutes.

Season the woodcock breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Pour a couple of tablespoons of oil into a frying pan and bring it up to a medium heat. Add the woodcock and black pudding to the pan and fry the breasts for 2.5 minutes each side.

Woodcock breasts are turned to fry on second side

Lift the woodcock to a plate, cover with foil and leave to rest while you fry the black pudding slices for a further 5 minutes on their second side.

Black pudding slices and salad are plated

While the meat is frying, wash the salad leaves and tomatoes, shake dry and combine in a bowl. Season with a little salt and toss.

When the egg is ready, lift your pot to the sink and run cold water into it for a couple of minutes to cool the egg quickly. Crack the shell gently on a hard surface and peel away. Half the egg down through the centre.

Plate the black pudding and arrange the salad leaves around the slices in an attractive fashion.

Chutney is spooned on to black pudding slices

Lay an egg half at each end of the presented salad. Carefully place a teaspoon of chutney on each black pudding slice and evenly spread with back of spoon.

Cut the rested woodcock breasts in half at an angle on a chopping board and arrange one on top of each black pudding and chutney combination before serving.