Stuffed Bandera Quail With Pepper Glaze Food

STUFFED QUAIL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Place the bread on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and salt. Toast for 5 to 8 minutes, until crisp. Transfer to a large bowl.
• In a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, heat the butter until it's melted and foamy. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley, sage and chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper. Add the toasted bread and toss to combine. If you need more liquid for the bread, add more chicken stock 1/4 cup at a time. Remove pan from heat and allow to cool to room temperature
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Once the stuffing is cool, wear kitchen rubber gloves to stuff the cavity of the quails with about 1 cup of stuffing per quail. Place the remaining stuffing on the bottom of a roasting pan or large cast-iron skillet. Season the quail with salt and pepper and rest on top of the stuffing. Roast the quail for 15 to 20 minutes or until juices run clear when you pierce the skin. Serve right away.

SAUSAGE STUFFED QUAIL

Steps:

• Coat a large saute pan lightly with olive oil. Toss in the fennel, onions and crushed red pepper. Season with salt and bring the pan to a medium-high heat. Cook the onions and fennel until they are soft and wilted but don't have any color, 7 to 8 minutes. Turn off the heat and let them cool.
• In a bowl, combine the sausage, breadcrumbs, Parmigiano, egg, parsley and cooked onions and fennel. Mix well to combine.
• Divide the stuffing among the 4 quail. Press each quail to lightly flatten and evenly disperse the stuffing. Wrap each quail with a bacon slice and secure the bacon with a toothpick. Tie the quail's legs together with butcher's twine (otherwise they will look like road kill).
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and bring the pan to a medium-high heat. Sprinkle the quail with salt and add it to the pan. Brown them really well on each side, 3 to 4 minutes. When the quail are brown on both sides, transfer the quail to a baking sheet and put them in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven, remove the toothpicks and reserve the quail.
• Meanwhile, ditch the fat from the pan and add the port wine. Cook the wine over medium heat until it has reduced by half. Add 3/4 cup chicken stock, season with salt and reduce by half. Add the remaining chicken stock and reduce it by about three-quarters, or until it seems a little bit thickened. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
• Divide the arugula among 4 serving plates. Place a quail on each pile of arugula and spoon some of the sauce on the quail and the arugula. Serve immediately.

STUFFED BANDERA QUAIL WITH PEPPER GLAZE

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill. Rub salt and pepper all over the quail to season. Lay the quail on baking sheets, skin side down. Set a slice of cream cheese in the center of each bird and top with 2 strips of fresh jalapeño and 1 or 2 slices of sweet-hot pickled jalapeños. (If you prefer, you can do all fresh chiles-4 strips per bird, or all pickled chiles-3 or 4 slices per bird.) Fold the quail with the cheese and chiles inside and wrap a piece of bacon around each bird to secure. Grill the quail on both sides over medium heat until cooked through, about 30 minutes total, turning the birds with tongs halfway through cooking. A few minutes before the quail are done, heat the jelly in a small saucepan set over medium heat until it liquefies. Set the cooked quail on a serving platter and brush generously with the jelly glaze. Serve the quail immediately.
• The quail can be stuffed and wrapped with bacon, securely wrapped in plastic wrap, and refrigerated up to 1 day in advance. Grill just before serving. The chilled quail may need a little extra grilling time.

ROASTED QUAIL WITH BRIOCHE AND CHORIZO STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• For the Quail and Stuffing: Spread the brioche cubes on a baking sheet and bake until dry but not browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and cook until crispy, about 3 minutes. Add the celery, garlic, onion, sage and apricots and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and cool slightly.
• Add the brioche cubes to the vegetables and toss. Add the egg, salt, pepper, and enough of the chicken broth to moisten the bread, and toss.
• Season the quail inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff each quail loosely with the brioche mixture and tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Put the remaining stuffing into a lightly buttered casserole dish. (The recipe may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead, covered, and refrigerated.)
• Bake the stuffing until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil in an ovenproof medium skillet over high heat. Add half the quail and cook, turning as each side gets a rich mahogany brown, about 8 minutes in all. Transfer to a low roasting pan or casserole dish just large enough to hold the quail. Repeat with the remaining quail, adding more olive oil if necessary. Reserve the skillet and drippings. Transfer the quail to the oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the cavity reads 160 degrees, about 20 minutes.
• For the Sauce: Add the shallots to the reserved drippings in the skillet over medium heat and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the red wine and simmer until reduced by about half, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits. Add the demi-glace or chicken stock, the apricots and currants. Simmer until fruit is tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
• Transfer the quail to a plate and tent loosely with foil. Whisk the butter into the sauce a bit at a time until the sauce is glossy and coats the back of a spoon. (If necessary, gently reheat the sauce before whisking in the butter off the heat.)
• To serve, spoon some of the stuffing into the centers of 4 dinner plates. Set 2 quail on top, spoon some sauce over, and ring with some of the Wilted Greens.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and chard stems and cook, stirring occasionally, until brown, about 6 minutes. Stir in the chard leaves and cook, tossing, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

QUAIL AND GRAPES

Steps:

• Rinse quail and pat dry. Season inside and out with salt and pepper. Put a small amount of grated garlic in each bird's cavity, as well as the chopped rosemary and thyme. Drizzle birds with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and let marinate at room temperature for at least 1 hour. (You may refrigerate for several hours or overnight; bring to room temperature before roasting.)
• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place onions in a small ovenproof skillet or pie pan, and season with salt and pepper. Toss with balsamic vinegar and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to coat. Bake until slightly softened and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
• Spread remaining rosemary and thyme sprigs on a baking sheet or in a low-sided roasting pan. Lay quail on top of herbs, breast-side down. Roast for about 15 minutes, until puffed and lightly browned.
• Turn birds breast-side up and surround with roasted onions and grape clusters. Continue roasting for 10 minutes more. If necessary, put birds under the broiler to crisp the skin. Let rest 10 minutes and serve.