Grilled Quail Wrapped In Pancetta With Sage And Honey Food

GRILLED QUAIL WITH PANCETTA, RICOTTA PUDDING, AND SICILIAN BREADCRUMBS

Steps:

• Season the quail with the chopped rosemary, 2 tablespoons thyme, half the sliced chiles, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Toss the breadcrumbs with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Spread them on a baking sheet, and toast 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until golden brown.
• Light the grill 30 to 40 minutes before you're ready to cook. (Remember to use extra coals, spreading them out, so the heat is evenly dispersed over the entire area of the grill.) Take the quail out of the refrigerator to come to room temperature.
• Stack the pancetta slices and cut them into quarters. Heat a large, deep sautépan or Dutch oven over high heat for 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, swirl, and place the pieces of pancetta in the pan. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, until the pancetta is crisp, and turn the pieces over. Add the rosemary sprigs to the pan, and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, until the pancetta is crispy on the second side. Turn the heat down to medium and add the shallots, 2 teaspoons thyme, and the remaining sliced chile. Sauté 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until the shallots are translucent and starting to caramelize. Turn off the heat.
• When the coals are broken down, red, and glowing, season the quail with salt and pepper. Tuck the wing tips behind the wing joints. Place the quail, breast side down if you're using boneless or skin side down if you're using butterflied, on the grill. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, rotating the birds a few times, until the skin crisps. Turn the quail over and cook them another 2 to 3 minutes or so, until the meat is just rosy. I like to peek inside the legs (a rather obscene gesture, I know, but it works!) to check for doneness.
• Toss the currant-pine nut relish with the breadcrumbs. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and taste. (These are the Sicilian breadcrumbs.)
• Reheat the shallots and pancetta over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until hot. Turn off the heat, and add half the spinach. Toss quickly with tongs to combine the ingredients. As the spinach just begins to wilt (this will happen very quickly), add the rest of the spinach, tossing to coat well with the pancetta and shallots. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, a pinch of freshly ground black pepper, and some lemon juice. Taste for seasoning, and arrange on a large warm platter.
• Place the quail over the spinach, and sprinkle the Sicilian breadcrumbs on top. Serve the warm ricotta pudding on the side.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Whisk the eggs, egg yolk, and ricotta together in a large mixing bowl. Add the cream, milk, 1 teaspoon thyme, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Whisk to combine. The mixture will be a little lumpy.
• Taste for seasoning, and pour into a buttered 9-inch baking dish. Decorate the top of the pudding with the chile and remaining 1/2 teaspoon thyme. Cover the dish with foil, place it in a water bath, and bake about 1 hour, until the custard is just set
• If you can't find boneless quail, butterfly whole ones: Use scissors to cut through the cavity down one side of their backbones, and then place them on a cutting board and gently press down with the heel of your hand to flatten them slightly. Prep and marinate the quail the night before. You can also make the currant-pine nut relish a day ahead.

GRILLED QUAIL WRAPPED IN PANCETTA WITH SAGE AND HONEY

Steps:

• To make the stuffing, warm the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat until the oil is almost smoking and slides easily in the pan, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the pancetta and cook to render the fat but not brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, sage, rosemary, and thyme; season with the salt and pepper, and cook until the onion is tender and translucent, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the onion and garlic from browning. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature. Transfer the stuffing to an airtight container and refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours to chill.
• To prepare the quail, rinse and pat dry with paper towels, checking for any remaining bones or feathers. Combine the onion, thyme, vinegar, honey, and pepper in a bowl or nonreactive baking dish large enough to hold all the quail. Place the quail in the marinade and turn to coat them on all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and place the quail in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
• Remove the quail from the marinade, pat dry with paper towels, and lay them on a baking sheet. One at a time, lay a quail on your work surface, open up the legs, and spoon 2 tablespoons of stuffing inside the cavity. Cross the legs to close in the stuffing. Slide the skewer through the bottom leg and then through the top leg and rotate the skewer so it's perpendicular to the legs. Return the quail to the baking sheet and repeat, stuffing the remaining birds in the same way. Unravel the pancetta if it's from a round slice and stack two slices of pancetta on your work surface. Lay the quail on top of the pancetta and wrap it around the quail, moving along the body of the quail to cover as much as possible. Return the quail to the baking sheet and repeat, wrapping the remaining quail in the remaining pancetta. (You can prepare the dish to this point up to a day in advance. Wrap the baking sheet tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to grill. Season with salt and pepper on both sides before grilling.)
• To fry the sage leaves, pour enough olive oil into a small skillet or saucepan to fill it 1 inch deep and line a small plate with paper towels. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until a pinch of salt sizzles when dropped into it. Add the sage leaves and fry for about 30 seconds, until crisp but not browned. Use a slotted spoon to remove the sage from the oil, transfer to the paper towels to drain, and season with salt. Strain the sage-infused oil through a fine-mesh strainer and reserve it to fry sage another time or to drizzle over grilled meats or vegetables. (The sage can be fried up to several hours in advance. Store it in an airtight container at room temperature.)
• To prepare the radicchio, combine the vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the radicchio leaves and soak in the marinade while you grill the quail or for up to 24 hours.
• Prepare a hot fire in a gas or charcoal grill or preheat a grill pan or heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat. Brush the grill grates or grill pan with olive oil.
• Place the quail breast side down on the grill and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until it is browned and the pancetta is crisp. Turn the quail, taking care to keep the pancetta intact, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on the other side. Cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, turning them often to prevent the outsides from burning, until they are cooked to medium. To check for doneness, squeeze the quail at the thickest point; if the flesh feels firm, it is done. If the quail appear to be searing too quickly, move them to a cooler part of the grill or lower the heat on the grill pan so they can cook through before the outsides burn. Remove the quail to a plate to rest for about 5 minutes before serving. While the quail are resting, grill the radicchio for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, turning occasionally, until it is browned in places but not crisp.
• To serve, remove the skewers and discard. Drape two radicchio leaves in the center of each plate, overlapping them. Lay one quail on each serving of radicchio and rest the other in another direction on top of the first. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of honey over and around each serving. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of the balsamico and 1 teaspoon of the finishing-quality olive oil, and scatter the fried sage leaves over each plate.
• suggested wine pairing
• Amarone Della Valpolicella (Veneto)

GRILLED QUAIL, TUSCAN-STYLE

Steps:

• Start wood or charcoal fire or preheat gas grill or broiler.
• Cut along each side of the breastbone of each bird, then straight down through where thigh meets body to get 2 semi-boneless halves from each bird. (Don't worry if skin holding thigh and drumstick together separates.) Combine with all other ingredients in bowl or heavy plastic bag and stir or shake to coat. If time allows, marinate for an hour or so.
• Grill quail, turning as needed, until browned and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

GRILLED MARINATED QUAIL

Steps:

• Wash and dry quail.
• Combine remaining ingredients and place in noncorrosive container large enough to hold quail. Place quail in marinade, turning to coat both sides. Cover. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight, turning occasionally.
• To cook, heat broiler(s). Cover broiler pan with 2 layers of aluminum foil and arrange quail on foil. If you have only one broiler, you will have to cook the quail in 2 batches. Broil 2 inches from source of heat for 5 minutes on each side. Remove metal frame holding quail open and serve with polenta (see recipe).