Roast Marinated Quail With Warm Spring Vegetable Salad Food

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).

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 accompaniment may be made while the quail is marinating. Combine the bones, vegetables, and seasonings in a roasting pan and roast in a 375°F oven for 2 hours, turning occasionally, until everything is well browned.
• Transfer the bones and vegetables to a heavy-bottomed stockpot and cover with the water. Bring to a boil, add the beef and veal stock or beef broth, lower the heat to a simmer, and cook 1 1/2 hours. Strain this rich stock into another saucepan, add the cup of port, and simmer again to reduce liquid to 1 1/2 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°F. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a castiron 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.

WARM SPRING VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Put the courgette ribbons in a large bowl with a pinch of salt and the lemon juice.
• Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and cook the asparagus for 2 mins, adding the frozen peas and broad beans for the final min. Drain well, pod the broad beans and toss together with the courgette ribbons. Drizzle over the olive oil, sprinkle on parsley and season to taste.

ROASTED QUAIL WITH WILD MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• To clean the mushrooms, wash in a bowl of cold water, gently tossing so as not to bruise them. Repeat 2 times. Using a paring knife, trim the ends and scrape the stems, removing the outer layer. Let dry thoroughly on paper towels at room temperature or uncovered in your refrigerator-this could take up to a couple of hours and can be done the day before.
• In a large sauté pan over high heat, heat the 1 teaspoon oil. Add the mushrooms and cook until browned. Reduce the heat to medium and add the port, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom. Reduce until the liquid is a syrupy consistency, about 10 minutes.
• In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the chicken cubes and livers; slowly add the egg whites, then the cream. Mix until thoroughly combined. Pass the poultry puree through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl. Roughly chop the cooled mushrooms and add (with any residual juice) to the bowl with the poultry puree.
• Preheat the oven to 325°F. Season the quail inside and out with salt.
• Scoop the poultry puree into a pastry piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip or a large plastic storage bag with one 1/2-inch corner snipped. Pipe puree into each quail body and tie the legs together with butcher's twine.
• Heat a large cast-iron or heavy-bottomed ovenproof sauté pan over medium heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and brown the quail on all sides. You may need to work in batches. Transfer the pan to the oven (use two pans or transfer to a large roasting pan if necessary) and roast the quail for 30 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted in the center of the quail registers 155°F. Let rest in the pan for 5 minutes before serving.