Middle Eastern flavours are probably at their best (in my opinion) when the protein is highlighted by a subtle use of spice and sweet. This dish exemplifies a beautiful modern Middle Eastern take on quail.
I removed the breasts and legs, took out the thigh bone and French trimmed the leg. Wrapped these tiny morsels in clingfilm and confit in duck fat for about an hour (the quail we get here in Dubai are really tiny, if your quail are bigger they might take a couple of hours). The way I confit is I heat the duck fat to melting (low temperature only is required as duck fat melts at very low temperature), I always pop a few garlic cloves in the dish because I keep these for all manor of things. Then put the quail legs that have been tightly cling film wrapped and tied into a small ramekin or similar with garlic cloves if you are using them and cover with the melted duck fat. Cover tightly with foil, sit on a baking tray just in case it overspills and in the oven at about 120deg C for as I said one hour for tiny quail, longer up to two hours for larger quails.
OK so then cook beetroot, puree with some confit garlic, a little pepper and salt and water to make a lovely smooth puree. No need to pass this.
Quarter or eigth (size dependent) baby turnips, cook in some olive oil, honey, orange blossom water and a touch of salt until they are tender and yummy.
Use the quail carcasses to make a stock then strain and reduce with cardamon, a touch of salt and pepper, a touch of sherry vinegar and honey just to balance sweet, salt, sour. This should be sticky and delicious when you taste at the end. The taste should have a lovely balance of middle eastern flavours with the cardamon and honey.
Plate by searing the quail breasts along with the confit legs. They will take just two minutes. Cook the breasts skin side only. The residual heat will be enough and you do not want them fully cooked through, they need to be pink. The legs will be golden brown in the same time as cooking the legs as they have already a layer of duck fat and are of course fully cooked.
Dollop some beetroot puree, sit the quail on top, scatter the braised and roasted turnip, drizzle over the cardamon quail jus and a few fennel fronds finishes this off. The honey and orange blossom water with the cardamon and sherry vinegar are a heady mix. Trust me, you will make this again.
A beautiful light take on Middle Eastern quail.
I removed the breasts and legs, took out the thigh bone and French trimmed the leg. Wrapped these tiny morsels in clingfilm and confit in duck fat for about an hour (the quail we get here in Dubai are really tiny, if your quail are bigger they might take a couple of hours). The way I confit is I heat the duck fat to melting (low temperature only is required as duck fat melts at very low temperature), I always pop a few garlic cloves in the dish because I keep these for all manor of things. Then put the quail legs that have been tightly cling film wrapped and tied into a small ramekin or similar with garlic cloves if you are using them and cover with the melted duck fat. Cover tightly with foil, sit on a baking tray just in case it overspills and in the oven at about 120deg C for as I said one hour for tiny quail, longer up to two hours for larger quails.
OK so then cook beetroot, puree with some confit garlic, a little pepper and salt and water to make a lovely smooth puree. No need to pass this.
Quarter or eigth (size dependent) baby turnips, cook in some olive oil, honey, orange blossom water and a touch of salt until they are tender and yummy.
Use the quail carcasses to make a stock then strain and reduce with cardamon, a touch of salt and pepper, a touch of sherry vinegar and honey just to balance sweet, salt, sour. This should be sticky and delicious when you taste at the end. The taste should have a lovely balance of middle eastern flavours with the cardamon and honey.
Plate by searing the quail breasts along with the confit legs. They will take just two minutes. Cook the breasts skin side only. The residual heat will be enough and you do not want them fully cooked through, they need to be pink. The legs will be golden brown in the same time as cooking the legs as they have already a layer of duck fat and are of course fully cooked.
Dollop some beetroot puree, sit the quail on top, scatter the braised and roasted turnip, drizzle over the cardamon quail jus and a few fennel fronds finishes this off. The honey and orange blossom water with the cardamon and sherry vinegar are a heady mix. Trust me, you will make this again.
A beautiful light take on Middle Eastern quail.
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| Quail two ways, beetroot puree, braised and roasted turnip, cardamon, honey, orange blossom water and jus. |
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