Quail With Cajun Forced Meat Stuffing Recipes

STUFFED QUAIL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Place the bread on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and salt. Toast for 5 to 8 minutes, until crisp. Transfer to a large bowl.
• In a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, heat the butter until it's melted and foamy. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley, sage and chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper. Add the toasted bread and toss to combine. If you need more liquid for the bread, add more chicken stock 1/4 cup at a time. Remove pan from heat and allow to cool to room temperature
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Once the stuffing is cool, wear kitchen rubber gloves to stuff the cavity of the quails with about 1 cup of stuffing per quail. Place the remaining stuffing on the bottom of a roasting pan or large cast-iron skillet. Season the quail with salt and pepper and rest on top of the stuffing. Roast the quail for 15 to 20 minutes or until juices run clear when you pierce the skin. Serve right away.

QUAIL WITH CAJUN FORCED MEAT STUFFING

Steps:

• Using a food processor, blend well the force meat stuffing ingredients, transfer to bowl, add seasoning and eggs, and mix well with hands...stuff quail fully so plump and I like to tie the legs (see photos)...set aside (you will have enough forced stuffing to fill 16 birds if you need, otherwise, use remaining stuffing as a hash with scrambled eggs the next morning...yum!
• In an electric skillet (or on stove) making sure it is deep enough with cover to hold quail and rice, put butter in skillet and brown the birds on all sides...remove and set aside.
• In same skillet, add carrots, onions, garlic and parsley and saute until tender, stirring often...add rice, chicken broth, salt and pepper...stir constantly and bring to boil.
• Reduce heat, place birds on top of mixture and cover each bird with bacon strips...cover skillet and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Remove bacon strips and serve...birds with rice.

ROASTED QUAIL WITH BRIOCHE AND CHORIZO STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• For the Quail and Stuffing: Spread the brioche cubes on a baking sheet and bake until dry but not browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and cook until crispy, about 3 minutes. Add the celery, garlic, onion, sage and apricots and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and cool slightly.
• Add the brioche cubes to the vegetables and toss. Add the egg, salt, pepper, and enough of the chicken broth to moisten the bread, and toss.
• Season the quail inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff each quail loosely with the brioche mixture and tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Put the remaining stuffing into a lightly buttered casserole dish. (The recipe may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead, covered, and refrigerated.)
• Bake the stuffing until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil in an ovenproof medium skillet over high heat. Add half the quail and cook, turning as each side gets a rich mahogany brown, about 8 minutes in all. Transfer to a low roasting pan or casserole dish just large enough to hold the quail. Repeat with the remaining quail, adding more olive oil if necessary. Reserve the skillet and drippings. Transfer the quail to the oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the cavity reads 160 degrees, about 20 minutes.
• For the Sauce: Add the shallots to the reserved drippings in the skillet over medium heat and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the red wine and simmer until reduced by about half, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits. Add the demi-glace or chicken stock, the apricots and currants. Simmer until fruit is tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
• Transfer the quail to a plate and tent loosely with foil. Whisk the butter into the sauce a bit at a time until the sauce is glossy and coats the back of a spoon. (If necessary, gently reheat the sauce before whisking in the butter off the heat.)
• To serve, spoon some of the stuffing into the centers of 4 dinner plates. Set 2 quail on top, spoon some sauce over, and ring with some of the Wilted Greens.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and chard stems and cook, stirring occasionally, until brown, about 6 minutes. Stir in the chard leaves and cook, tossing, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

STUFFED QUAIL GUMBO

Steps:

• Put quail on a flat surface and sprinkle cavity of each with salt and pepper and a pinch of file powder.
• Put rice in a bowl and add salt, pepper and a pinch of file powder.
• Open up cavity of each quail and spoon 2 level tablespoons of rice in. Place one slice sausage and one oyster on the layer of rice. Spoon 2 more tablespoons rice into each cavity, pressing down with fingers. Press all around openings of cavities to seal.
• Arrange quail breast up and close together in one layer in a baking dish. Sprinkle breasts with salt, pepper and a pinch of file powder. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the melted butter on top of each quail.
• Combine onion, green pepper, celery and garlic in a mixing bowl and set aside.
• Bring enough water to boil in a saucepan to cover four remaining slices of sausage. Add sausage slices and simmer gently about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a wide, heavy skillet and add the flour, stirring rapidly all around bottom with a wire whisk. Cook, stirring constantly, until flour turns light caramel in color. Reduce heat and continue stirring. Pay strict attention to the color, which will now deepen rapidly. The flour, when ready, should be dark brown; it should not blacken. Total cooking time is about 6 minutes.
• Immediately add onion mixture and continue stirring vigorously 3 to 4 minutes. Add broth while stirring rapidly. Bring to boil and cook, stirring, about 3 minutes. Add the oyster liquor, bay leaves and thyme sprigs and let simmer about 35 minutes. Be sure to scrape bottom of pan to prevent sticking and lumping.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Place quail in oven and bake 30 minutes or until breasts are nicely browned.
• Carefully transfer quail to the simmering liquid and continue cooking 5 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Serve one quail and one slice of sausage with equal amounts of the gumbo liquid in four soup bowls.

SOUTHERN STUFFED QUAIL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven broiler.
• In a bowl, mix the pork, parsley, carrots, celery, garlic, bread crumbs, and pepper.
• Arrange the quail in a baking dish. Separate the skin from the breast of each quail, and stuff with equal amounts of the stuffing mixture. Brush with bacon drippings.
• Broil the quail 7 minutes on each side in the preheated oven, or to a minimum internal temperature of 180 degrees F (85 degrees C).