I love Quails. Ok, they are not the easiest things to eat, but they are super yummy. They work with a variety of different flavors, and now that the weather is getting warmer it was the perfect occasion to couple them with fresh red berries!
When buying quails, a sign of good quality is when the head is still attached… horrible I know, it is not easy seeing the wee fellah’s head lying on the chopping board, but at least you know you are dealing with a great product.
Ingredients (4 as a main, or 2 if you are super hungry)
- 4 quails
- 2 good sized hand fulls of fresh raspberries
- 10 strawberries (including 5 for serving)
- 4 slices of bacon
- 1 onion
- 1/4 cup of sweet white wine i.e. riesling
- 2 tablespoons of chopped bacon
- 4 bay leaves
- 1/3 glass of port
- A knob of butter
- 1/2 cup of kriek (cherry beer)
- 6 asparagus spears cut into 3
- 2 handfuls of snow peas
- 8 baby carrots
- 1 shallot
- 6 potatoes
- A bunch of baby spinach
- 2 tablespoons of cream
- 1 tablespoon of parmesan
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 pear sliced
Method
- Wrap the bacon around the quails and place a bay leaf between the bacon and quail
- Heat a large pot until hot, add butter and brown quails
- Remove quails from pot
- Add onion, chopped bacon and white wine to the pot
- Simmer until soft, a few minutes
- Add the port, raspberries and strawberries
- Add the quails and kriek, cover and turn down to a slow simmer
- Now, bring a pot of salted water the boil
- Plunge the snow peas, asparagus and carrots into the boiling water for 3-4 minutes
- Remove and place in a bowl of icy water (this will ensure the veges keep their fresh colour) drain and place on the side
- Bring another pot of salted water the boil
- Peel and cut potatoes into quarters
- Boil potatoes for around 15-20 minutes until soft
- Just before the potatoes are cook, add the spinach leaves to the boiling potatoes, leave for 1-2 minutes then drain everything
- Bring a pan to hot heat, add olive oil and shallot, then toss in pre-cooked veges, toss in pan for around 4 minutes – do not over cook, they should still be a little crisp
- Slice strawberries and pear and place on plate
- Mash potatoes and spinach, adding the cream, salt and pepper, parmesan and egg yolk
- Remove your quails and taste the sauce, add what you think you need if anything is missing i.e. some raspberry jam if not sweet enough, salt and pepper etc.
- Cover the pear and Strawberry salad with sauce from the quails and dish up! This should be enjoyed with a great Bourgogne Pinot Noir