In the Autumn treat your dinner guests to these mid-sized birds from the pheasant family. They can be prepared in many ways and as they are not all that common on dinner tables, they appear during this harvest season as a special treat.
I prefer to purchase my quail already partially boned. When you purchase semi-boneless quail they have removed all bones except the drummette of the leg and the wing bones. This “sleeve boned” product sometimes comes with stainless steel grill pins as shown above, to hold open the body cavity to make stuffing easy, although this is not required.
If you can't find them locally, there are several good online sources including Manchester Farms and D'Artagnan. Quail have become so common you can even order them from Amazon!
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| Julian's Stuffed Christmas Quail |
Quail have been used as a food since ancient times. A friend of mine tells me that, according to the Bible, the Israelites were said to have had quail while in the desert. Native Americans were also known to have utilized Bob White quail for food. In 1557, Hernando DeSoto’s expedition reportedly received a gift of wild turkeys and Bob White quail at a Native American village in what is now Georgia. As European immigrants to the New World carved small farms from vast forests, quail became a common meal for these settlers. Markets developed and hunting and trapping of quail were practiced from the early 1800s to the early 1900s. In 1931 it became the California state bird, that state having its own species known as the California or valley quail.
If when purchasing your quail you have a choice of species, select Pharaoh or Coturnix quail instead of the traditional wild birds like the Bob White or Plumed Quail. These preferred species are more naturally disease resistant than wild bird species allowing the farmer to grow them with no antibiotics. They also mature much faster allowing them to grow them without the use of growth hormones. They are also all dark meat birds which stay more moist when cooking.
If when purchasing your quail you have a choice of species, select Pharaoh or Coturnix quail instead of the traditional wild birds like the Bob White or Plumed Quail. These preferred species are more naturally disease resistant than wild bird species allowing the farmer to grow them with no antibiotics. They also mature much faster allowing them to grow them without the use of growth hormones. They are also all dark meat birds which stay more moist when cooking.
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| Select Semi-Bonessless if Available |
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| Stuffed and Ready to Roast |
If you can't find them locally, there are several good online sources including Manchester Farms and D'Artagnan. Quail have become so common you can even order them from Amazon!
You can also select full bone-in (instead of semi-boneless) quail, although these will require more work for your dinner guests to east. You can also wrap the quail in bacon just prior to roasting, to add flavor and to keep them moist.
Instructions
Clip and discard the last segments of both wing tips on the quail, as they will burn when cooked and have no meat to speak of. Rinse the quail under cold running water and pat dry. Place the quail on a rack set over a baking sheet and sprinkle with a little salt, baking powder, garlic, thyme, sage, and parsley (or use your favorite seasoned dry brine mixture). Sprinkle the inside of each quail and get a little under the breast skin if possible, without tearing the delicate skin. Refrigerate for 4-8 hours. This will help the skin to crisp and brown while roasting.
Prepare your favorite stuffing. As there is not all that much meat on the quail, I typically use a stuffing that contains some pre-cooked sage sausage. You can use either a bread dressing or rice for the stuffing, being sure to add classic vegetables like onion, carrot and celery, along with your favorite seasonings and the pre-cooked sausage. The stuffing ingredients should all be cooked before being added to the quail as the cooking time is short an insufficient to cook the stuffing as the quail roast. Allow the stuffing to cool to room temperature before stuffing the quail.
Remove quail from the refrigerator and allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Brush off any excessive dry seasoning.
Remove quail from the refrigerator and allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Brush off any excessive dry seasoning.
Tuck the wings under and stuff the quail so it resumes its natural shape. Truss the birds for roasting by tying the legs together. Preheat the oven or grill to medium-high heat (400F degrees). If using the oven and you have a convection roast or convection bake setting, use that as it will help to crisp the skin. I use convection roast. Brush the quail on all sides with melted butter.
Place quail on the rack or directly on the grill grates and cook for 10-20 minutes until golden brown and cooked through and the temperature at the leg joint is 160F. Do not overcook. Temperature will continue to rise to 165F as they rest. Remove the quail from the oven/grill and let rest for a minimum of 10 minutes before serving. They can be held longer by loosely tenting with foil.
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