Quail With Chestnuts And Raisins Recipes

QUAIL WITH CHESTNUTS AND RAISINS

Steps:

• Place raisins in a bowl, add port and set aside. Season quail with salt and pepper. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Melt butter in a large heavy skillet on medium-high. Add as many quail as will fit comfortably, breast side down. Sauté until breast is well browned. Transfer quail, breast side up, to a baking dish that can go to the table and continue sautéing until all the quail are browned. Quail can be slightly overlapping in the dish.
• Reduce heat in pan to medium-low, add shallot and ginger and sauté until soft. Add raisins with port and the chestnuts. Add stock. Let simmer about a minute. Check seasonings and pour over quail in the baking dish. Place thyme on top. Bake uncovered about 20 minutes for medium; timing can be adjusted according to taste.

SAUTEED QUAIL WITH RAISINS

Steps:

• Sprinkle quail on all sides with salt and pepper.
• Heat half of butter in skillet, with lid, large enough to hold opened quail in one layer without crowding. Add quail, breast side down, in skillet, and cook until golden brown on one side, about 2 minutes. Cook about 1 minute on second side until golden.
• Scatter shallots around quail and cook briefly, stirring. Sprinkle with Cognac and add broth. Cover and let simmer about 8 minutes. Add grapes, cover and cook 2 minutes more.
• Transfer quail to warm platter. Let sauce cook down 2 minutes. Swirl in remaining butter. Return quail to sauce. Heat sauce briefly and serve.

QUAIL IN ROSE PETAL SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the water to boiling.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in large skillet, cook the garlic and aniseed for 5 minutes, and set aside.
• Put the rose petals and cactus fruit in a blender and puree until smooth and set aside.
• Cut an "x" over the flat ends of the chestnuts with a knife. Toast the chestnuts in a hot cast iron skillet for 5 minutes. When the shells open, add the chestnuts to the boiling water and cook for 15 minutes. Drain the chestnuts and allow them to cool. Peel the chestnuts, add them to the rose petal mixture, and puree while adding the remaining cup of water, slowly.
• Reheat the skillet with garlic butter mixture and add the rose petals puree. Simmer for 10 minutes then whisk in the honey, salt, and pepper.
• Push the sauce through a sieve, into a clean pan, pressing on the solids to extract the juice and some chestnut pulp. Keep the sauce warm.
• Preheat a grill or grill pan.
• Drizzle the quails with olive oil and season with salt. Grill the quails until they are medium rare, about 5 minutes per side. Serve with the Rose Petal Sauce.

ROAST QUAIL WITH GRAPES AND CHESTNUTS

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Remove and discard any feathers from quail, then remove necks if necessary with poultry shears and discard. Rinse quail inside and out and pat dry, then sprinkle all over with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil and butter in a deep 12-inch heavy ovenproof skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then brown quail on all sides, 12 to 15 minutes total. Transfer to a large plate.
• Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet, then sauté carrot, onion, and thyme over moderately high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 2 minutes.
• Return quail (with any juices on plate) to skillet with vegetables and roast, breast sides up, in oven until just cooked through (cut into an inner thigh; meat will still be slightly pink), about 10 minutes. Transfer quail to a platter and loosely cover with foil.
• Add Cognac to vegetables in skillet and boil 1 minute, then add broth and boil until liquid is reduced by half, about 6 minutes. Stir in crème fraîche and simmer until slightly thickened, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Pour sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on and discarding solids, then pour back into skillet. Add grapes and chestnuts and simmer, stirring occasionally, until heated through and grapes turn a shade lighter, about 3 minutes. Transfer grapes and chestnuts to platter with quail, then boil sauce until thick enough to lightly coat back of spoon, about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, then spoon some sauce over quail and serve remainder on the side.
• *Available at specialty foods shops, D'Artagnan (800-327-8246), and Cavendish Game Birds (802-885-1183).
• **Available at specialty foods shops and some supermarkets.

QUAIL AND GRAPES

Steps:

• Rinse quail and pat dry. Season inside and out with salt and pepper. Put a small amount of grated garlic in each bird's cavity, as well as the chopped rosemary and thyme. Drizzle birds with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and let marinate at room temperature for at least 1 hour. (You may refrigerate for several hours or overnight; bring to room temperature before roasting.)
• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place onions in a small ovenproof skillet or pie pan, and season with salt and pepper. Toss with balsamic vinegar and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to coat. Bake until slightly softened and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
• Spread remaining rosemary and thyme sprigs on a baking sheet or in a low-sided roasting pan. Lay quail on top of herbs, breast-side down. Roast for about 15 minutes, until puffed and lightly browned.
• Turn birds breast-side up and surround with roasted onions and grape clusters. Continue roasting for 10 minutes more. If necessary, put birds under the broiler to crisp the skin. Let rest 10 minutes and serve.

BROILED QUAIL WITH RAISIN AND APPLE STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler to high.
• In a saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a simmer.
• Heat another saucepan, and add the sausage meat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes, breaking the meat into small pieces. Add the onion, and cook, stirring, until wilted. Add the apple, raisins, couscous, warmed broth, cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring. Cover tightly, remove from the heat, and let stand for 5 minutes.
• Add the gin and coriander, and blend well with a fork. Divide the mixture into 8 portions. Set aside.
• Salt and pepper the cavity of each quail. Add the stuffing with your hands. Crisscross the legs, and flatten the quail so they will cook evenly.
• Pour the butter and oil into a baking dish large enough to hold the quail in one layer. Add the quail, and sprinkle with half of the thyme. Turn the quail in the butter and oil mixture, and sprinkle with salt, pepper and the remaining thyme. Then turn the quail breast side down.
• Place the quail under the broiler about 6 inches from the heat source. Leave the door partly open. Cook them about 4 minutes until lightly browned. Turn the quail breast side up. Return them to the broiler, and basting occasionally, broil for 4 minutes longer or until nicely browned.
• Set the oven at 400 degrees. Place the quail on the bottom rack, and bake for 2 to 3 minutes, basting with the butter and oil mixture and the lemon juice. Serve immediately with the sauce.