Quail

Penny's Recipe for Quail with Raisins, Walnuts and Grapes
Posted by Administrator (admin) on May 21 2008 at 8:51 AM
Quail >>

Ingredients (Serves 4)

8 plump boneless quail from Alternative Meats; 4 rashers bacon, rind removed; 175 fl oz stock; 1 onion chopped; 1 bay leaf; few sprigs of parsley; 3 tablespoons of white wine; salt and pepper; 1 heaped teaspoon flour; 100g or 4 oz seedless grapes, halved; 25g or 1 oz walnuts, roughly chopped; 1 tablespoon raisins; 2 tablespoons double cream and a few sprigs of watercress to garnish.


Recipe :
Cut each bacon rasher in half and put a piece over each quail breast. Put the quail in a roasting tin and pour in the stock. Add the onion, bay leaf, parsley sprigs and white wine. Season with salt and pepper. Roast the quail in a moderately hot oven (200C, 400F, Gas Mark 6) for 15 minutes, then remove the bacon and continue cooking for a further 10 minutes, when the quail should be pale brown and very tender. Put the quail on a serving dish, cover and keep warm while you make the gravy. Heat the juices from the tin and strain them. Skim off any fat in to a teacup. Mix this fat to a paste with the teaspoon of flour. Pour some of the hot stock into the cup, mixing well. Then return the flour mixture and the hot stock to a saucepan or the roasting tin and stir steadily until boiling. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary. Then add the grapes, walnuts and raisins, reheat and stir in the cream. Spoon the sauce over the quail and garnish with the watercress.

Serves 4.

These small but tasty birds have been boned out and prepared for you - just follow the simple recipe above and voila! a classic winter game dish for you to present to discerning guests. (Or just to enjoy yourself, of course!)