Achiote Marinated Quail Recipes

GRILLED QUAIL WITH MISO

Steps:

• Combine the miso, sake, sugar and scallions in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until thick, about 5 minutes. Let cool, then transfer to a large bowl and whisk in the vegetable oil.
• Pat the quail dry. Add to the bowl with the miso mixture and toss; cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
• Preheat the broiler. Line a shallow baking pan with foil. Arrange the quail in the pan in a single layer. Broil, rotating the pan as needed, until the quail are browned in spots and cooked through, about 8 minutes per side.

ACHIOTE MARINADE

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a blender. process until thoroughly pureed.

CITRUS MARINATED QUAIL

Steps:

• Butterfly quail by placing on cutting board breast side up, inserting knife into the cavity, and cutting down through the backbone. Cut off and discard wing tips.
• In a medium nonmetallic bowl, mix together oils, orange zest, and juice, lime juice, honey, soy sauce, garlic, pepper, and ginger. Add quail, cover, and refrigerate for several hours, turning several times.
• Heat a grill or grill pan until hot. Remove quail from marinade, and place on grill, skin side down. Cook until brown, about 5 to 7 minutes, basting occasionally with marinade. Turn quail, baste, and cook for 5 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and add noodles. Cook until al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain, and set aside.
• Pour remaining marinade into a saucepan. Reduce until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Strain, and place in a clean saucepan. Add noodles; simmer until heated through. Stir in sesame seeds.
• Divide noodles and pea shoots or watercress among 4 plates. Place a quail on top, and serve.

ACHIOTE MARINADE (RECADO)

Steps:

• Crush the salt into the garlic using a mortar and pestle until a paste forms.
• Add the annatto seeds, cumin, oregano, and black pepper and mix well.
• Pour in the vinegar and orange juice and stir well.
• Allow the marinade to sit for 5 minutes before using. You will notice that the marinade will become thicker after it sits for a few minutes.
• If you are not going to use it right away, transfer the marinade to an airtight container and refrigerate.
• INGREDIENTS
• Annato Seed
• This seed, which is also called achiote, gives off a musky and earthy flavor. It comes from the annatto tree and is used for both its flavor and red coloring. It is fine to use annatto powder, but the ground seeds are a much better option. The seeds are rather hard to crush by hand. If you do not have a spice grinder, use your blender to create the powder.
• TECHNIQUES
• Making a Garlic Paste
• When you crush salt into a peeled garlic clove, the garlic will let go of its moisture and turn into a paste. This technique somehow magically mellows out the pungent flavor of raw garlic.
• While you can create the paste using a knife (continue chopping a peeled garlic clove over a small mound of salt until you achieve a paste), a mortar and pestle is the easiest and best way to make the paste.
• ADVANCE PREPARATION
• This marinade can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
• This marinade goes incredibly well with chicken, fish, and pork.

ACHIOTE MARINADE

Steps:

• Whisk lime juice, garlic, achiote, oregano, cumin, brown sugar, adobo sauce, wine vinegar and oil until well blended.
• Add marinade to a ziplock bag with chicken, pork or beef; seal bag and turn to coat. Marinade for at least 3 hours or overnight for more flavor.
• Season meat with salt and pepper before cooking.

YUCATáN CHICKEN WITH ACHIOTE

Steps:

• Cut the chicken into 1/2-inch-wide strips. In a large bowl, mix together the orange juice, oregano, garlic, chile, achiote paste, salt, pepper, allspice, and olive oil to make the marinade. Add the chicken strips to the mixture and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
• To cook the chicken, remove the strips from the marinade and drain off any excess liquid. In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the chicken strips, turning once or twice, until thoroughly cooked (cut one to test), about 9 minutes total.
• Remove from the heat, squeeze fresh lime juice over the strips, and serve immediately or keep warm in the pan until ready to serve.
• To serve, lay the tortillas side by side, open face and overlapping on a platter. Divide the filling equally between the tortillas and top with salsa and pickled onions. Grab, fold, and eat right away. Or build your own taco: lay a tortilla, open face, in one hand. Spoon on some filling, top with salsa and pickled onions, fold, and eat right away.