Roast Quail with Juniper Berries Iii (Quail)
Yield
6 servingsPrep
10 minCook
20 minReady
30 minIngredients
| Amount | Measure | Ingredient | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | each |
quail
necks and feet removed |
* |
| 6 | slices |
pancetta
thin, or 6 sl bacon, coarsely chopped |
*
|
| 12 | each |
sage
leaves, fresh, or 1/2 ts sage, dried |
*
|
| ¼ | cup |
vegetable oil
olive |
|
| 36 | each |
juniper berries
toasted in dry skillet for 5 minutes |
*
|
| 1 | x |
salt
(to taste) |
*
|
| 1 | x |
black pepper
(to taste) |
*
|
| ¼ | cup |
gin
|
* |
| ½ | cup |
wine
white, dry |
*
|
| 2 | cups |
stock
veal |
|
Ingredients
| Amount | Measure | Ingredient | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | each |
quail
necks and feet removed |
* |
| 6 | slices |
pancetta
thin, or 6 sl bacon, coarsely chopped |
*
|
| 12 | each |
sage
leaves, fresh, or 1/2 ts sage, dried |
*
|
| 59 | ml |
vegetable oil
olive |
|
| 36 | each |
juniper berries
toasted in dry skillet for 5 minutes |
*
|
| 1 | x |
salt
(to taste) |
*
|
| 1 | x |
black pepper
(to taste) |
*
|
| 59 | ml |
gin
|
* |
| 118 | ml |
wine
white, dry |
*
|
| 473 | ml |
stock
veal |
|
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.
