Michael Chiarello’s
Casual Cooking
This very easy recipe is quite good. Splurge and buy the semi-boneless quail. I made the mistake of boning my own quail, which took over an hour for 8 quail. I saved $16 though.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage
- Sea salt, preferably gray salt, and freshly ground black pepper
- 8 semi-boneless quail with wings and legs attached
- 8 thin slices bacon
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 fresh rosemary sprigs, each 6 inches long
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, vinegar, sage, and salt and pepper to taste.
Season the quail with salt and pepper, then tuck the wing tips under the body of each quail. Wrap each bird with a slice of bacon. Put 2 quail side by side. Run 2 parallel skewers through both birds. Repeat with the remaining quail. Trim the skewers to fit in a skillet. Generously brush the birds with the honey mixture.
Heat the olive oil over moderately high heat in an ovenproof skillet large enough to hold all the quail. Add the quail, breast-side down, and sauté for 2 minutes. Turn and cook for 2 minutes on the back side. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the quail are firm and nicely caramelized, about 15 minutes.
Transfer the quail to a serving platter and pour off any fat in the skillet. Add the wine and rosemary to the skillet and return to moderately high heat. Simmer, scraping the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon, until all the caramelized bits dissolve and the mixture has the consistency of a sauce. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter. Strain the sauce through a sieve held over the quail and serve immediately.