Roast Quail with Juniper Berries Iii (Quail)
Submitted by lorrlynch
Pan-roasted whole quail stuffed with pancetta, sage, and juniper berries, finished with a gin and white wine pan sauce. A masterchef-level wild game main course in 30 minutes.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
20 minREADY
30 minQuail is the wild game main that home cooks too often skip out of intimidation, but the whole bird cooks in about 12 minutes start to finish. This New York masterchef preparation tucks a tiny stuffing of pancetta, fresh sage leaf, and toasted juniper berries into each cavity, perfuming the meat from inside as it roasts.
The technique is a classic sear-and-roast: a quick pan-sear breast-down on the stovetop builds the golden crust, then straight into a 450°F (230°C) oven to finish in just 11 to 12 minutes. The skillet then becomes the sauce vessel: gin (a brilliant juniper-on-juniper move), white wine, and rich veal stock get reduced into a glossy pan sauce that pours over the birds at the table.
This is restaurant-quality cooking with no equipment beyond a heavy oven-safe skillet, suitable for a special-occasion dinner that you want to actually enjoy with your guests instead of being chained to the stove.
Chef Tips
- Toast the juniper berries in a dry skillet for about 5 minutes before using. Toasting wakes up their piney resinous oils dramatically.
- Get the skillet screaming hot before the quail go in. A medium pan steams the birds and you lose the crust.
- Don’t crowd the pan. Use two skillets if you can’t fit all 12 quail breast-down with space between.
- Veal stock is ideal but tough to find. Use a deeply reduced beef or chicken stock as a substitute.
- Quail are done when the breasts feel firm and the juices from the cavity run clear-pink. Overcooked quail turns dry fast.
Variations
- Substitute Cornish game hens (cook time will roughly double).
- Swap pancetta for a small piece of foie gras or a scrap of duck confit for an even richer cavity stuffing.
- Add a splash of cassis or blackberry liqueur to the pan sauce for a subtle berry note that complements the juniper.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat your oven to 450 F. Holding quail, breast up, tuck wing tips under. Place a little of the pancetta, a sage leaf, and 2 juniper berries in the cavity of each bird. Sprinkle the cavity and outside of each bird with a little salt and pepper. Push each leg joint downward and fasten it to the carcass with a toothpick, pushing 1 toothpick through both legs.
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet over very high heat. Arrange birds in pan, breasts down. Saute, shaking pan occasionally until breasts are lightly golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Place the skillet in the oven and roast 5 to 6 minutes. Use tongs to turn birds’ breasts up and continue to roast until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven and transfer the quail to 6 warm serving plates; keep warm while preparing sauce.
Discard any fat from the skillet and place the pan over medium-high heat. Deglaze the skillet, adding the gin and wine, scraping up any browned bits in a pan. Add your stock and boil gently until reduced enough to coat a spoon lightly. Stir in the remaining juniper berries, adjust your seasonings, and pour this over the birds. Serve immediately.
Comments