Leslie Revsins Braised Quail With Juniper Bayberry And Pomegranates Recipes

QUAIL WITH POMEGRANATE JUS

Steps:

• Combine shallots, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, 2 tablespoons pomegranate juice, 2 teaspoons tarragon, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add quail, tossing gently to coat, then marinate, covered and chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours.
• Remove quail from marinade, scraping off shallots and reserving marinade, then pat quail dry with paper towels and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.
• Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch heavy nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides. Cook 4 quail, turning over once, until browned and just cooked through, about 5 minutes total. (Quail will be rare.) Transfer cooked quail to a serving dish and keep warm, loosely covered with foil. Cook remaining 4 quail in remaining 2 tablespoons butter in same manner, transferring to serving dish.
• Add reserved marinade to skillet and cook over moderately high heat, scraping up any brown bits with a wooden spoon, until shallots are just softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons pomegranate juice and season with salt, then spoon over quail. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and remaining teaspoon tarragon.
• To juice a pomegranate, cut in half crosswise, then use a manual or electric juicer. Alternatively, remove seeds from pomegranate and pulse seeds in a food processor until juicy, then transfer seeds to a sieve and drain, pressing on and then discarding solids.

BRAISED QUAILS WITH WILD MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Season the quails with salt, and pepper. Melt half the butter with a drop of oil in a heavy casserole, and brown the quails on all sides over medium-high heat. Cook's Note: you could also use lard. Remove the quail from the pan, and set aside. Add the bacon to the pan, brown it, and remove. Finally, fry the onion until golden, adding more fat to the pan beforehand, if needed.
• Stir the flour into the onions, and cook 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with the wine, stirring up the good bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Return the onions, bacon and quails to the pot. Pour over the stock, cover, and simmer until the quails are just cooked through, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining butter (a little more if you like) and cook each type of mushroom separate, as the various types cook differently. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper as you go, then, at the end, toss them all together with the chopped parsley.
• When the quails are done, remove them from the cooking liquid and keep them warm while you boil the juices, uncovered, to reduce to thin sauce consistency. Add the mushrooms to the sauce. Tilt into a serving dish, set the quails on top, and serve.

LESLIE REVSIN'S BRAISED QUAIL WITH JUNIPER, BAYBERRY AND POMEGRANATES

Steps:

• In the cavity of the quail put a little salt, a bayberry or quartered bay leaf (reserving the remaining leaves for later), and a quarter of a clove of garlic. Truss the quail.
• In a bowl large enough to hold all 12 quail combine half a teaspoon salt, juniper berries and whole white peppercorns. Crush the whole coriander seeds with a mortar and pestle and add. Add the brandy. Toss the quail in this mixture, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a casserole large enough to hold the quail, brown the carrot, onion, celery and leek in threequarters of a tablespoon of duck fat or oil and butter mixture. Remove the vegetables and set aside. Add the remaining fat and carefully brown the quail a few at a time.
• Return the vegetables to the pan. Add the wine and stock. Bring to a boil and skim off any impurities that may rise to the surface. Add three bayberry or one bay leaf, thyme and rosemary and cover tightly. Cook for 45 minutes. The quail are done when they are very soft. Test with a fork or thin skewer. If they are not cooked long enough they will be stringy.
• Meanwhile, brown four tablespoons of butter without burning and brown the breadcrumbs in the butter. Set aside.
• Remove the birds from pan. Strain the cooking juices into a saucepan and reduce to 1 1/2 cups. Season with freshly ground pepper and salt if needed. Stir in remaining two tablespoons of cold butter. Pour the sauce over the birds and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
• Garnish the plate with branches of juniper and peeled chokes of pomegranates, lacing them in and among the birds and sprinkle with extra bay leaves.

BRAISED QUAIL WITH WHITE WINE

Steps:

• Wipe the quail dry with paper towels and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Using a frying pan that can go into the oven and on top of the stove (preferably cast iron) soften the shallot in the butter. Add shallots to a bowl with the mushrooms, breadcrumbs, parsley, tarragon, salt and pepper. Mix well and moisten with a little of the white wine. Stuff the mixture into the bird cavities.
• Heat the oil in the skillet. Add the stuffed quail, breast down and brown lightly. Add the remaining wine and the garlic cloves. Cover and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Turn the quail breast up, turn up the heat to 400 and continue cooking for five to 10 minutes or until the quail are cooked.
• Remove the quail to a heated platter. Bring the sauce in the skillet to a boil over high heat and reduce by about a third. Remove the garlic cloves and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the quail, sprinkle with almonds and serve.

BRAISED QUAIL

Steps:

• Clean the quail and pat dry.
• Place a slice of pancetta, a sage and rosemary sprig, and a sliver of garlic.
• Heat the oil in a large, lidded frying pan and brown the quail all over quickly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add extra rosemary and sage leaves and the white wine.
• Put the lid on, turn the heat down to low and cook very slowly adding more wine and chicken stock as needed. Cook until well done.
• Serve with polenta and a salad of radiccio or rocket if you want to.

ROASTED QUAIL WITH JUNIPER BERRIES AND BALSAMIC VINEGAR

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500°F.
• With poultry shears or a sharp knife cut off necks, feet, and first 2 wing joints of each quail and discard. Finely chop garlic. Finely chop juniper berries and sprinkle half inside quail. Season quail inside and out with pepper and salt.
• In a 12-inch ovenproof skillet heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Add quail, breast sides down, and brown on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes total. Transfer quail to a plate and wipe skillet clean. In skillet melt butter and add quail, breast sides up. Transfer quail to middle of oven and roast, basting twice, until meat is pink for medium-rare, about 8 minutes. Transfer quail to a platter. Add garlic and remaining juniper berries to skillet and cook over low heat, stirring, 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Remove skillet from heat and stir in vinegar and any quail juices that have accumulated on platter. Spoon sauce over quail.

LESLIE REVSIN'S SWEET-POTATO BREAD

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Beat sweet potato to mix.
• Sift together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, and stir into sweet-potato mixture. Stir in pecans.
• Grease an 8-by-4-by-2 1/2-inch loaf pan, and spoon in batter. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour and 20 to 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
• Cool on wire rack for 30 minutes. Remove. Do not slice until cooled.