Afghan Grilled Quail Recipes

GRILLED TEXAS QUAIL

Steps:

• Marinate the quail in olive oil, garlic and fresh herbs in the refrigerator overnight.
• Remove from the refrigerator and sprinkle Creole seasoning blend on both sides. Grill on high heat over mesquite wood until done (about 4 to 5 minutes per side).

EASY GRILLED QUAIL

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Combine parsley, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add olive oil and stir until evenly combined. Brush seasoned oil over both sides of the quail.
• Grill for 8 minutes. Carefully flip with tongs and grill for 8 minutes more.

GRILLED QUAIL WITH SOUTH CAROLINA BARBECUE SAUCE

Steps:

• Make the sauce first. Heat the butter over medium heat, then add the onion and sauté until it turns translucent, about 3 or 4 minutes. Add everything else, stir well and simmer slowly for 20 minutes or more. You can buzz it in a blender for a smooth sauce.
• To flatten the quail, use kitchen shears to remove the backbones of the birds by cutting along either side. Put the quail breast side up on a cutting board and press to flatten. If you want to be fancy, carefully snip out the ribs and the curved saber bones near the wishbone. Salt the quail and toss them in the vegetable oil.
• Get your grill hot and lay your quail breast side up. Grill over high heat with the grill lid down for 5 minutes. As it cooks, paint the breast side with the sauce. Turn the quail over and paint the cooked side with sauce. Grill the breast side with the grill cover up for 2 minutes, then turn over again and paint with the sauce one more time. Cover the grill and cook another 2 to 4 minutes. Take off the grill and paint with sauce one more time.

GRILLED QUAIL

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine the garlic, shallots, thyme, oil, and pepper. Add the quail and marinate in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 hours.
• Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high heat.
• Place the marinated quail on the grill and cook for 6 to 8 minutes per side. Brush the quail with Maple Bacon Vinaigrette and grill for 2 more minutes. Place each quail on 1 ounce of arugula.
• In a skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp. Remove the bacon and set aside. In a food processor, combine the bacon fat, Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, syrup, vinegar, shallot, and garlic. Mix well and slowly drizzle in the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in bacon pieces.

GINGERY GRILLED QUAIL

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, sesame seeds, ginger, coriander, wasabi, and salt.
• Rub the quail all over with the oil, then with the seasoning, using most of it on the meatier side of the birds.
• If using semiboneless quail, consider skewering them, using two skewers threaded through each side as shown in the photo, for easier handling.
• In a small saucepan, whisk the mirin, sake, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and soy sauce over high heat, and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook, whisking occasionally, until reduced to about 1/2 cup, 10 to 20 minutes. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, ginger, and soy sauce, and allow to sit for 5 minutes for the flavors to develop. Add the butter, and stir to combine. Set aside.
• Prepare a high (500°F to 600°F) gas or charcoal grill fire. Oil the grate.
• Grill the quail, breast sides down, until the skin has nice grill marks; 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the birds over, brush with the glaze, and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes on that side.
• Finish grilling the birds over indirect heat: For a gas grill, simply turn off all but one of the burners and adjust the heat as necessary to maintain a temperature of 350°F.
• For a charcoal grill, briefly remove the birds from the grill, then remove the grill grate. Use long-handled tongs to bank the hot coals to one side. Put the grate in place. Place an oven thermometer on the grate over the cooler area, close the lid, and let the coals burn down until the thermometer reads about 350°F.
• Transfer the birds to the cooler side of the grill and continue cooking, breast side up, brushing with the glaze every couple of minutes until the glaze is used up and the quail are medium rare or medium, 8 to 10 minutes. You may want to rotate the position of the birds so the same ones are not always closest to the heat.
• Transfer the birds to a cutting board, breast side up, and spread with some of the butter. Tent with foil for 5 minutes. Cut into halves, garnish with the chopped scallions and salt, and pass the remaining butter at the table.

AFGHAN-STYLE CHICKEN / MURGH

Steps:

• 1. Set a yogurt strainer, or regular strainer lined with a double layer of dampened cheesecloth, over a bowl. Add the yogurt to the strainer and let drain, in the refrigerator, for 4 to 6 hours.2. Remove the drained yogurt from the refrigerator (it will be quite thick) and discard the liquid. Transfer the yogurt to a large nonreactive bowl. Add the garlic, ginger, onion, lemon juice, cayenne, salt, black pepper, and cumin seeds and whisk to blend. Set aside while you prepare the chicken.3. Remove and discard the skin from the chicken pieces, then rinse the pieces under cold running water. Drain and blot dry with paper towels. Make 2 or 3 deep slashes, to the bone, in each piece. Add the chicken to the marinade in the bowl and turn the pieces to coat. Cover and let marinate, in the refrigerator, for 4 to 6 hours.4. Preheat the grill to high (see Note).5. When ready to grill, oil the grill grate. Remove the chicken from the marinade and arrange on the hot grate. Grill, turning with tongs, until nicely browned on the outside and the juices run clear when the tip of a skewer or sharp knife is inserted in the thickest part of a drumstick or thigh, 8 to 10 minutes per side (16 to 20 minutes in all).6. Transfer the chicken to serving plates or a platter and serve immediately, garnished with onion, tomato, cucumber, and radish slices and lemon wedges.Serves 6Note: For best results, use charcoal.

GRILLED QUAIL SANTORINI

Steps:

• 1. Remove and discard the fat just inside the body cavities and rinse the quail, inside and out, under cold running water, then drain and blot dry with paper towels. Spatchcock the quail. Arrange the quail, skin side down, in a nonreactive baking dish and set aside while you prepare the vinaigrette marinade.2. Combine 1/2 cup vinegar, the lemon juice, oregano and 2 teaspoons each salt and pepper in a large bowl and whisk until the salt is dissolved. Whisk in the oil to blend. Taste for seasoning, adding salt, pepper, or vinegar as necessary the mixture should be highly seasoned. Pour half the vinaigrette over the quail, turning the birds to coat thoroughly. Cover and let marinate, in the refrigerator, for 1 to 2 hours, turning once or twice. Reserve the remaining vinaigrette until serving time.3. Preheat the grill to high.4. When ready to cook, oil the grill grate. Remove the quail from the marinade and arrange them skin side down, on the hot grate. Grill until nicely browned and the juices run clear when the tip of a skewer or sharp knife is inserted in the thickest part of a thigh, about 4 to 6 minutes per side (8 to 12 minutes in all).5. Transfer the quail to serving plates or a platter and serve immediately, accompanied by the reserved vinaigrette.Serves 4

AFGHAN-STYLE GAME HENS

Steps:

• 1. Remove and discard the fat just inside the body cavities of the game hens. Remove the packages of giblets (if any) and set aside for another use. Rinse the hens, inside and out, under cold running water, then drain and blot dry with paper towels, inside and out. Place the hens in a large, deep nonreactive bowl or baking dish and set aside while you prepare the marinade.2. Combine the oil, yogurt, lemon juice, paprika, cumin, salt, and black pepper in a medium-size bowl and whisk to blend. Stir in the onions, garlic, sliced lemon, and bird peppers, then pour the mixture over the game hens in the larger bowl, turning the birds to coat. Cover and let marinate, in the refrigerator, 8 to 24 hours (the longer the better), turning the hens occasionally.3. Set up the grill for rotisserie cooking.4. When ready to cook, place the hens on the spit and set the spit in place on the grill. Turn on the rotisserie and cook until the birds are nicely browned and the juices run clear when the tip of a skewer or sharp knife is inserted in the thickest part of a thigh, 20 to 35 minutes if the grill is covered, somewhat longer uncovered.5. Unspit the hens and transfer to a cutting board or platter. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.Serves 4Note: If desired, you may cook the hens directly on the grill. Spatchcook the birds or cut lengthwise in half with poultry shears, then marinate as directed in step 2 and grill as directed in the preceding recipe.

THE AFGHAN GRILL

Steps:

• Of all the countries I wanted to visit, but couldn't because of political turmoil, Afghanistan was my biggest disappointment. This landlocked, mountainous nation of 15 million lies at one of the great crossroads of the barbecue trail and at the confluence of four great civilizations: the Middle East, Central Asia, Eastern Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. Afghan grilling weaves culinary influences from all four regions into a cuisine that's uniquely its own.This truth was brought home to me on my first meal at an Afghanistani restaurant, the Khyber Pass, in New York's East Village. The moment I stepped into the storefront dining room, with its soft lights, kilim carpets, Afghan tapestries, and hand-hammered copperware, I felt I was a million miles away from Manhattan. The house specialties-grilled lamb chops flavored with onion water, fire-charred game hens, and chicken marinated in yogurt and spices and cooked to fall-off-the-bone-tenderness-were exotic, but immediately accessible. I was won over by the way the side dishes of piquant chatni (chutneys-tangy table sauces, which in Aftganistan are made from vinegar, herbs-most often cilantro-and ground nuts, not the fruits we are more familiar with) and bracingly tart torshi (vegetable pickles) counterpointed the richness of the grilled meats."Afghanistan lies at the crossroads of Asia," explained the restaurant's manager, Mohamed Noor. Noor reminded me that Alexander the Great conquered the region in the fourth century b.c. on his way from Greece to India. In the thirteenth century a.d., Genghis Khan subdued the area while on his march to Turkey and Eastern Europe. He was followed in the sixteenth century by King Babur, founder of India's Mogul Empire. (Indeed, King Babur is buried outside the capital city of Kabul.) Each of the conquerors and their armies left a mark on Afghan food.Thus, olive oil, cinnamon, dill, fenugreek, and kalonji (nigella seeds, also known as black cumin or black onion seeds) are as popular in Afghanistan as they are in Middle and Near Eastern cooking. From India, Afghans acquired a taste for garam masala (a spice blend whose ingredients include cumin, cinnamon, cloves, and black cardamom seeds) and chatnis. As throughout northern India and Central Asia, meats are marinated before grilling in tenderizing pastes of yogurt and spices. The Persian Empire provided the torshis and lavash (flat bread) that are indispensable companions to Afghan barbecue.The focal point of the Afghan kitchen is the grill. Afghanis use simple seasonings to make some of the best grilled food in the world. Marinades run to yogurt (or yogurt cheese) flavored with onion, garlic, chiles, hot red pepper flakes, cumin, and sometimes olive oil. It's not uncommon for meats to be marinated for 48 hours, which makes them extraordinarily juicy and tender.The accompaniments are simple: thin chewy Afghan bread, nutty rice pilaf, tangy pickles, and coriander sauce.There are recipes throughout the book for Afghan quail, chicken, and lamb dishes, plus such traditional accompaniments as doh (yogurt drink) and chatni. There is also a short list of Afghan restaurants where you can sample some of this extraordinary grilling in exotic settings, but without leaving the United States.

AFGHAN GRILLED QUAIL

Steps:

• 1. Set a yogurt strainer, or regular strainer lined with a double layer of dampened cheesecloth, over a bowl. Add the yogurt to the strainer and let drain, in the refrigerator, for 2 to 3 hours.2. Remove the drained yogurt from the refrigerator and discard the liquid. Transfer the yogurt (it will be semifirm but not dry), to a large nonreactive bowl or baking dish. Add the paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, the coriander, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, the curry powder, cumin, turmeric, and black pepper and whisk to blend. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and cayenne as necessary the mixture should be highly seasoned. Set aside while you prepare the quail.3. Remove and discard the fat just inside the body cavities. Rinse the quail inside and out, under cold running water, then drain and blot dry with paper towels. Spatchcock the quail following the directions.4. Add the quail to the bowl with the marinade, turning to coat thoroughly. Cover and let marinate, in the refrigerator, 12 to 24 hours, turning the birds occasionally.5. Preheat the grill to high.6. When ready to grill, oil the grate. Remove the quail from the marinade and place them, skin side down, on the hot grate. Cook until nicely browned and the juices run clear when the tip of a skewer or sharp knife is inserted in the thickest part of a thigh, 4 to 6 minutes per side (8 to 12 minutes in all).7. Transfer the quail to serving plates or a platter, and serve immediately.Serves 4