If you enjoy eating quail, then you must try this recipe. It is simply delicious. I think anything wrapped in bacon will be tasty lol! Honestly, quail on its own is not as flavorful, but you add that bacon, the smokiness and the richness are just so good. You brush them with honey and vinegar some more…wow…sweet, sour, smokey..that’s a recipe to lick fingers, isn’t it ? This will make great appetizers.
Try it and let me know if you do end up licking your fingers or not lol! Another great recipe I got from Michael Chiarello’s Casual Cooking 😉
QUAIL WITH BACON AND HONEY (4 servings)
1/3 cup honey
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp finely chopped fresh sage
Sea salt, preferably gray salt, and freshly ground black pepper
8 quails with wings and legs attached
8 thin slices bacon
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 fresh rosemary sprigs, each 6 inches long
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
COOKING METHOD:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, vinegar, sage, and salt and pepper to taste
3. Season the quail with salt and pepper, then tuck the wing tips under the body of each quail (I wasn’t very successful in doing this, so don’t worry if you can’t). Wrap each bird with a slice of bacon. Put 2 quail side by side. Run 2 parallel skewers through both birds. Be sure that the quails are not touching each other or the bacon won’t crisp properly (a little mistake I did). Repeat with the remaining quails. Trim the skewers to fit in a skillet. Generously brush the birds with the honey mixture
4. Heat the olive oil over moderately high heat in an ovenproof skillet large enough to hold all the quail. Add the quail, breast-side down, and saute for 2 minutes. Turn and cook for 2 minutes on the back side. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the quail are firm and nicely caramelized, about 15 minutes
5. Transfer the quail to a serving platter and pour off any fat in the skillet. Add the wine and rosemary to the skillet and return to moderately high heat. Simmer, scraping the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon, until all the caramelized bits dissolved and the mixture has the consistency of a sauce. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter. Strain the sauce through a sieve held over the quails and serve immediately
They were so good that I even had them with a bowl of porridge/congee for breakfast lol! Who eats quails for breakfast ? Geez! We do 😉
