Stuffed Quail
Roasted Quail filled with Andouille Wild Rice Stuffing
Quail are very small wild game birds that are available farm raised. They have always been popular in fine dining restaurants as appetizers, small plates or as a dish in a muti course tasting meal. They can be commercially purchased whole, semi boneless, boneless breast medallions and legs. Quail eggs are also very popular and can also be found canned. For this post I bought two whole quail from one of our local farmers market vendors. As with all poultry the various techniques used for de-boning and fabricating the cuts can be used with other poultry, since the bone structure is the same. This includes turkey, duck, chicken, pheasant and chicken. However, quail are the smallest game bird and therefor take a little more skill and care in de-boning.
The technique I use here is a labor-intensive process of boning out the quail from the back. It takes me about 10 minutes to complete the process with each bird. It yields a semi boneless product with only the drumstick and the first bone of the wing attached. After which the bird is stuffed and then held together by folding it up into a foil box which holds the quail together while they roast. Because the drumstick and the wing bone is left on the bird the whole roasted stuffed quail appears to be an intact bird, which can be eaten easily with a knife and fork. A variation of this boning technique is commonly used, with the drumstick bone and the entire wing bone being removed which yields a complete boneless bird. It is used in the production of galantines (whole stuffed boneless birds with forcemeats and internal garnishes) normally done with chicken, ducks or pheasant. In regional American cuisine the technique is used for the Cajun stuffed Turducken. That being said the foil technique is not widely known. In fact, I have never seen anyone else do it in this way.
I learned this technique many years ago as a teenager while I was a prep cook at the Officers Club at the National Navel Medical Center in Bethesda Maryland, a suburb of Washington DC. At that time, we used Rock Cornish Game Hen which are a breed of small chickens and can be found in the frozen food section of most grocery stores. Cornish game hens can be used instead of quail for a main course meal since they are normally found in sizes from 18oz to 24oz. To use the quail as a main course one should serve at least two or three birds per person.
In this post I stuffed two quails with smoked andouille sausage, wild rice and diced French bread and then served them with a blackberry gastrique, peaches, and sauteed spinach. Both recipes are listed below. Back when I was a working executive chef, we would use foie gras, apples and toasted diced brioche to stuff the quail. Although extravagantly delicious, foie gras is a little too expensive for home cooked meals.
Here are the steps for producing the dish in steps:
- Bone out the quail and marinate in oil, shallots and herbs (sage, thyme and rosemary)
- Prepare the stuffing (enough for 6 quail or 2 large Cornish game hens).
- Fold up in the foil box/tray
- Roast and serve.
Once the birds are boned out marinade them in a neutral flavor oil such as grapeseed, avocado or canola with snipped fresh herbs. I used thyme, sage and rosemary all from our garden. Chill the quail in refrigerator while making the stuffing. Once the stuffing is prepared follow the steps in the next photo for filling the quail and folding the quail in the foil box/tray using the steps in the following sequence.
Andouille and Wild Rice Stuffing
Yield approximately 3 cups
2 TBL Butter
1 TBL Onions, small diced
1 TBL Celery, small diced
½ cup Smoked Andouille Sausage, small diced- Dartagnon brand
1 cup French Bread, small diced and dried
½ cup Wild Rice, cooked
1 tsp Thyme, fresh
1 tsp Sage, fresh, chopped
2 TBL Italian Parsley, chopped
¼ cup Chicken Stock, hot, may need more
1 TBL Plain breadcrumbs
Salt and Pepper To taste
1. Sautee the onion and celery in the butter until translucent
2. Add the sausage and cook until heated through
3. Add the dried bread and the herbs and mix in
4. Turn off the heat and add the hot stock, the breadcrumbs and season with salt and pepper. All of the stock should be absorbed, and the stuffing should be moist. Use more stock if needed.
5. Use to stuff poultry, vegetables or bake in the oven as a side dish.
One egg can be added if a firmer stuffing is desired. More breadcrumbs and seasoning will be needed due to the added egg.
Blackberry Gastrique
Yield 1/4 cup
1/8th cup Granulated sugar
1/8th cup Red wine or blackberry vinegar
1/2 cup Black berries
1 TBL Butter, diced cold
- Cook the sugar and vinegar down until it starts to caramelize (swirl the pot at once this happens until a rich amber color develops)
- Add the blackberries and crush with a fork to release the juice
- Reduce slightly
- Turn down the heat and whisk in the cold butter
- Strain out the seeds and use.
Note: Gastrique's are used as a base for many classical sauces. They are used a base for rich demi-glace to give a slightly sweet and sour flavor profile.
The technique for boning out the quail and stuffing it in this way is an advanced and time-consuming skill in meat fabrication. However, with practice you can master it adding another skill to your cooking repertoire. One that will most surely impress your family and guests.
