Light Parsley and Watercress Consommé with Quail Egg Ravioli

Stalk the flat-leaf parsley and watercress. Wash and dry the leaves, and reserve the stems for the bouquet garni.

Plunge half of the parsley leaves into a pot of salted, boiling water, and cook for 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon, and chill in a container of ice water. Once completely cold, drain and squeeze to extract the maximum amount of water. These blanched parsley leaves will be used when the soup is cooked to give the consommé an attractive color.

Peel, wash and drain the carrots, the white part of the leeks, the garlic cloves, and the onions. Dice all of the vegetables into an even salpicon.

Tie up a bouquet garni with a sprig of thyme, a bay leaf and the parsley stems.

Cut the chicken into 1 3/4 ounce (50 g) pieces. In a pot, melt 2 ounces (60 g) of butter with the olive oil, and sear the chicken pieces, browning them slightly. Season with salt.

Add the vegetable salpicon, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Deglaze with white wine, and reduce completely. Cover with the light chicken stock, add the bouquet garni, season lightly with coarse gray sea salt, and simmer for about 1 hour on the edge of the range.

Add the remaining, un-blanched half of flat-leaf parsley and the watercress, and continue cooking for another 30 minutes.

When cooked, add the whipping cream, and bring back to a boil. Add the blanched parsley leaves, and remove the bouquet garni. Liquefy the consommé, first with a large, free-standing industrial mixer, then with a blender.

Season as needed, transfer the consommé to a stainless steel bowl, and strain using a fine-meshed chinois. Chill to keep the consommé's attractive green color.