Quail Sauce For Fresh Pasta Recipes

GRILLED QUAIL WITH SOUTH CAROLINA BARBECUE SAUCE

Steps:

• Make the sauce first. Heat the butter over medium heat, then add the onion and sauté until it turns translucent, about 3 or 4 minutes. Add everything else, stir well and simmer slowly for 20 minutes or more. You can buzz it in a blender for a smooth sauce.
• To flatten the quail, use kitchen shears to remove the backbones of the birds by cutting along either side. Put the quail breast side up on a cutting board and press to flatten. If you want to be fancy, carefully snip out the ribs and the curved saber bones near the wishbone. Salt the quail and toss them in the vegetable oil.
• Get your grill hot and lay your quail breast side up. Grill over high heat with the grill lid down for 5 minutes. As it cooks, paint the breast side with the sauce. Turn the quail over and paint the cooked side with sauce. Grill the breast side with the grill cover up for 2 minutes, then turn over again and paint with the sauce one more time. Cover the grill and cook another 2 to 4 minutes. Take off the grill and paint with sauce one more time.

PAN ROASTED QUAIL WITH PORT SAUCE

Steps:

• Using a wire whisk, combine the marinade ingredients in a stainless steel bowl. Add the quail and rub thoroughly with the marinade, inside and out. (Don't be afraid to use your hands.) Cover the bowl and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
• The Port Sauce with which the quail will be served may be made while the quail is marinating. Combine the bones, vegetables, and seasonings in a roasting pan and roast in a 375 degrees oven for 2 hours, turning occasionally, until everything is well browned. Transfer the bones and vegetables to a heavy bottomed stock pot and cover with the water. Bring to a boil, add the veal stock or beef broth, lower the heat to a simmer, and cook 1 1/2 hours. Strain this rich stock into another sauce pan, add the cup of port, and simmer again to the reduce liquid to 11/2 cups. At this point, the sauce may be cooled and refrigerated for up to two days. Rewarm the sauce during the quail's preparation and add the final enrichment of port and butter just prior to serving. This will both enhance the final flavor and give the sauce a silken sheen.
• To cook the quail, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a cast iron or other heavy bottomed, ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Drain the quail of excess marinade and pan roast, uncovered, until mahogany in color (about 3 minutes on each side). Place the ovenproof skillet and quail in the oven for 9 minutes. Serve immediately with the port sauce.

GRILLED QUAIL WITH OYSTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.
• Sprinkle the quail inside and out with salt and pepper, and arrange them in a baking dish. Wrap the breast of each quail with half a slice of bacon, folding it under and neatly overlapping the ends. The quail should be placed, breast-side-up, in the baking dish.
• Blend the oil, vinegar and thyme, and spoon an equal amount of the sauce over each quail. Place in the oven, and bake 13 to 15 minutes. Put under the broiler briefly to crisp the bacon.
• To prepare the oyster sauce, heat the butter in a heavy skillet or casserole, and add the prosciutto and leeks. Cook about 1 minute, stirring, and add the cream and pimento. Cook over relatively high heat about 10 minutes or until reduced to about 1 cup.
• Put the oysters in a small skillet, and cook over moderately high heat, shaking the skillet briefly until the oysters just start to bubble. Take care not to overcook the oysters, or they will toughen. Drain the oysters, and add them to the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the quail and serve immediately.

QUAIL SAUCE FOR FRESH PASTA

Steps:

• Wash the quail inside and out under cold running water, then pat thoroughly dry with kitchen towels.
• Choose a sauté pan that can contain all the quail in one layer. Put in the oil and turn on the heat to medium high. When the oil is hot, add the quail. Brown the birds on all sides, then remove them from the pan. Leave the heat turned on.
• Add the chopped onion, celery, carrot, sage, and rosemary, and cook for a minute or two, stirring frequently. When the vegetables have become lightly colored, return the quail to the pan, adding salt and pepper.
• Turn the birds over a few times, and after 2 or 3 minutes, add the wine. Let the wine bubble for a minute or less, then turn the heat down to medium low and put a lid on the pan.
• When the quail have cooked for 20 minutes, add the cut-up tomato; turn the birds over two or three times; put the lid on the pan, setting it slightly ajar; and cook until the quail meat comes easily off the bone, another 25 minutes or so. Check the pan from time to time, and whenever you find that the cooking juices are drying up, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water.
• Using a slotted spoon, remove the quail from the pan, and as soon as they are cool enough for you to handle, remove the skin and take the meat off the bone. Look out for and pick out any tiny bones.
• Return the meat to the pan, and turn it in the pan juices for a minute or two over low heat. Toss the pasta with the entire contents of the pan, adding freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
• Presentation note: If you leave the tiny quail drumstricks with the bone in and hold them back when tossing the pasta, you can place them decoratively over each individual plate of pasta.

ROASTED QUAIL WITH BRIOCHE AND CHORIZO STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• For the Quail and Stuffing: Spread the brioche cubes on a baking sheet and bake until dry but not browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and cook until crispy, about 3 minutes. Add the celery, garlic, onion, sage and apricots and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and cool slightly.
• Add the brioche cubes to the vegetables and toss. Add the egg, salt, pepper, and enough of the chicken broth to moisten the bread, and toss.
• Season the quail inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff each quail loosely with the brioche mixture and tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Put the remaining stuffing into a lightly buttered casserole dish. (The recipe may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead, covered, and refrigerated.)
• Bake the stuffing until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil in an ovenproof medium skillet over high heat. Add half the quail and cook, turning as each side gets a rich mahogany brown, about 8 minutes in all. Transfer to a low roasting pan or casserole dish just large enough to hold the quail. Repeat with the remaining quail, adding more olive oil if necessary. Reserve the skillet and drippings. Transfer the quail to the oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the cavity reads 160 degrees, about 20 minutes.
• For the Sauce: Add the shallots to the reserved drippings in the skillet over medium heat and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the red wine and simmer until reduced by about half, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits. Add the demi-glace or chicken stock, the apricots and currants. Simmer until fruit is tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
• Transfer the quail to a plate and tent loosely with foil. Whisk the butter into the sauce a bit at a time until the sauce is glossy and coats the back of a spoon. (If necessary, gently reheat the sauce before whisking in the butter off the heat.)
• To serve, spoon some of the stuffing into the centers of 4 dinner plates. Set 2 quail on top, spoon some sauce over, and ring with some of the Wilted Greens.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and chard stems and cook, stirring occasionally, until brown, about 6 minutes. Stir in the chard leaves and cook, tossing, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.