CookEat Recipe
Starlings Braised in White Wine
Small game birds slowly braised with prosciutto, onion, sage and juniper in dry white wine.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Gather the ingredients: 6 starlings, legally supplied for human consumption and professionally plucked, cleaned and eviscerated, with heads and feet removed; 1/4 large onion, finely chopped; 30 g prosciutto fat, finely chopped; 20 g butter; 3–4 thin strips of prosciutto with fat and lean, about 30 g; 2 food-grade juniper berries; 6 sage leaves; 300 ml dry white wine; A little salt and black pepper.
Step 2
Use only professionally cleaned and eviscerated birds from a lawful food supply. Do not follow the historical instruction to leave their viscera inside. Keep the birds refrigerated until cooking and keep their raw juices separate from ready-to-eat foods.
Step 3
Put the finely chopped quarter onion and prosciutto fat in a heavy saucepan with the butter, prosciutto strips and juniper berries. Set the birds on top, add the sage leaves and season with a little salt and pepper. Cook over moderate heat, turning the birds often, for about 12–15 minutes until they have absorbed the flavours and the onion is well coloured without burning.
Step 4
Add a small splash from the measured white wine, then pour in the rest so the total is 300 ml. Cover the pan tightly with a well-fitting heavy lid and keep at a very gentle simmer until every whole bird reaches 82°C and the meat is tender, about 75–110 minutes; older birds can take longer. Check occasionally and add only a little hot water if needed to prevent drying out.
Step 5
Lift out the birds and serve with their cooking juices. Take care with the small bones. For the source alternative, replace all 300 ml wine with 200 ml water and 100 ml Marsala; add these liquids in the same two stages and braise in the same way.
Cooked it? Rate it.
Cooked 0 times