Pan-roasted Quail with Figs and Port

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 medium onion, cut into medium dice (about 1/2 cup)
3 celery stalks, roughly chopped (about 3/4 cup)
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme plus 4 large thyme sprigs
1 garlic clove, smashed
1/2 cup demi-glace (sold refrigerated or frozen in gourmet markets), or 1 cup low-sodium, store-bought beef broth reduced by half and thickened with 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour combined
1-1/2 cups homemade chicken stock or low-sodium, store-bought chicken or beef broth
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons high-quality port
8 (4-ounce) quail (sold fresh and partially boned, 4 to a package)
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 fresh figs, halved (8 to 10 halved, dried white figs can be substituted)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup pine nuts or pumpkin seeds

Method

1. Set a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat to warm it. Pour in 2 tablespoons of the oil and heat for 2 minutes. Add the carrots, onion, celery, bay leaf, chopped thyme, and garlic to the pan and pan-roast, turning occasionally, until everything is well browned, about 12 minutes.
2. Pour in the demi-glace and broth, return to a boil, then lower the heat and let simmer until reduced by half, about 30 minutes.
3. Pour the port into the pot and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl. The sauce can be made up to this point, cooled, covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Reheat gently over medium heat before cooking the quail.
5. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
6. Season the quail inside and out with salt and pepper. If there is a metal frame inside the quail (often included by the purveyor to hold the shape while cooking), leave it in and remove it before serving.
7. Pour the remaining 1 tablespoon oil into a large, heavy-bottomed saute pan and heat it over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the thyme sprigs and quail, breast side down. Cook the quail until dark golden brown, about 3 minutes, then turn them over and cook the back until well browned, about 4 more minutes.
8. Remove the quail from the skillet, set them on a cookie sheet, and keep them warm in the oven while you finish the dish.
9. Add the figs to the pan in which the quail were cooked and roast over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Use tongs to pick out and discard the thyme sprigs. Add the warm port sauce to the figs and whisk the butter into the sauce to enrich it and give it a silken sheen.
10. Divide the quail among 4 dinner plates, top each serving with figs, and spoon some port sauce over the top. Scatter some pine nuts over each quail and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Nightly Specials

Marinated Grilled Quail

Ingredients

4 free-range quails, spatchcocked
2 bay leaves
2 thyme sprigs
2 garlic cloves, crushed
150 ml pomace oil

Infused Honey

12 white peppercorns
4 cloves
2 star anise
100 ml runny honey
splash of sherry vinegar
few thyme sprigs
2 red chilies, deseeded and chopped

Jerusalem Artichokes

400 g Jerusalem artichokes
enough water to cover the artichokes
150 ml full-fat milk
60 g Arbequina olive oil
2 tbsps unsalted butter
8 sage leaves, julienned

Lovage Oil

200 ml Arbequina olive oil
30 g lovage leaves

Method

1. For the marinated quail, put the four quails in a tray with the oil and the rest of the ingredients and let them marinade for a minimum of 24 hours.
2. For the infused honey, put all the ingredients together and infuse them on a very low heat (making sure that it doesn’t boil) for five minutes. Set it aside.
3. For the Jerusalem artichokes, peel the artichokes and place in a pan with the water and milk. Simmer them until they are a bit al dente – you are going to cook them again so make sure that they don’t get too soft. Allow to cool, cut in half lengthways and set aside.
4. For the lovage oil, put the oil and lovage in a pan and heat to 49C. Allow to cool and blend to a smooth oil. Pan-fry the quail on a medium heat, skin side down, until the skin is golden and crisp. Turn over and cook the other side for 30 seconds: the flesh needs to be a bit pink. Season to taste.
5. In another pan over a medium heat, add the Arbequina olive oil and Jerusalem artichokes and toss them until they start to colour. Add the butter and caramelise the artichokes until they turn golden brown. Season to taste and then add the sage. Toss everything well together.
6. Place the Jerusalem artichokes on a plate, then place the quails on top, skin side up. Drizzle the honey over the quail and the lovage oil around the plate.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Chef Nieves Barragán

Turkey Sliders with Avocado, Mushrooms, and Swiss Cheese

Ingredients

8 whole-grain slider buns (lowest sodium available)
1-1/4 lbs ground, skinless turkey breast
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sliced brown (crimini) mushrooms
8 slices low-fat Swiss cheese
4 small avocados (mashed with a fork)
1 medium tomato, cut into 8 slices (about 1/4-inch thick)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Spread the avocado over the Swiss cheese. Top with the tomato slices. Put the tops of the buns on the sliders.
3. Using four short skewers, pierce two sliders with each skewer. Serve immediately.
4. Arrange the buns with the cut side up in a single layer on a baking sheet. Set aside.
5. Using your hands or a spoon, shape the turkey into 8 patties, each about 3 inches in diameter. (The uncooked patties will be larger than the bun and will shrink as they cook.) Sprinkle the salt over each patty.
6. Heat a large nonstick skillet or griddle pan over medium-high heat.
7. Cook the patties for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn over the patties. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the patties are no longer pink in the center and register 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
8. Transfer the patties to the bottoms of the buns.
9. In the same skillet, cook the mushrooms over medium heat for about 3 minutes, or until soft, stirring frequently.
10. Spoon the mushrooms onto each patty. Top with the Swiss cheese.
11. Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven. Bake the sliders for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the Swiss cheese is melted and the buns are heated through. Remove from the oven.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: American Heart Association

French-style Quail with Fresh Figs

Ingredients

8 oven-ready quail (5oz each)
6 firm ripe figs, quartered
l tbsp butter
6 tbsp white Pineau de Charantes or dry sherry
1-1/4 cups chicken stock
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2-3 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1-1/2 tsp cornflour blended with 1 tbsp water
salt and freshly ground black pepper
green salad, to serve

Method

1. Season the quail inside and out with salt and pepper. Put a fig quarter in the cavity of each quail and tie the legs with string.
2. Melt the butter in a deep frying pan or heavy flameproof casserole over a medium-high heat. Add the quail and cook for 5-6 minutes, turning to brown all sides evenly. Cook in batches if necessary.
3. Add the Pineau de Charantes or sherry and boil for 1 minute, then add the stock, garlic, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently, covered, for 20 minutes.
4. Add the remaining fig quarters and continue cooking for a further 5 minutes until the juices run clear when the thigh of a quail is pierced with a knife.
5. Transfer the quail and figs to a warmed serving dish, cut off the trussing string and cover to keep warm.
6. Bring the sauce to the boil, then stir in the blended cornflour. Cook gently for 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thickened, then strain into a sauce boat.
7. Serve the quail and figs with the sauce and a green salad.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Taste of France

Chinese Chiu-chow-style Roasted Pigeon with Bean Paste

Ingredients

1 pigeon, about 12 to 14 oz
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dark soy sauce
2 stalks of spring onions
1 slice of ginger
1 stalk of cilantro
1/2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine

Seasoning

1-1/2 tbsp Chiu-chow bean paste (潮州豆醬)
1/2 tbsp sesame paste
2/3 tsp sugar
1 cup of water
1/2 tbsp light soy sauce

Method

1. Cut off the feet of the pigeon. Wash and wipe dry. Put 1/2 tsp salt into the stomach of the pigeon. Rub 1 tsp dark soy sauce on the skin. Marinate for 1/2 hour.
2. Saute the pigeon with 3 tbsp oil until it turns golden yellow.
3. Saute the ginger, spring onions and cilantro. Drizzle wine.
4. Put a bamboo rack into the pot and put the pigeon, ginger, spring onions and cilantro on top of it. Add seasoning and boil in low heat for 25 minutes. Turn the pigeon from time to time.
5. Discard the ginger, spring onion, cilantro and beans in the sauce.
6. Chop the pigeon into pieces and arrange on serving plate. Pour the sauce on the pigeon and serve.

Source: Chiu-chow Cuisine