Fruity Couscous Spiced Quail Recipes

MIDDLE EASTERN QUAIL AND COUSCOUS SALAD WITH GARLIC SAUCE

Steps:

• To make the coriander salt: Place spices into a dry frying pan and heat over a low heat, shaking pan, until just fragrant. Add salt and heat a further 1 - 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cool completely. Grind to a fine powder in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Rub into quail to cover evenly and refrigerate uncovered for 1 hour or until time permits
• Couscous Salad: Place couscous into a bowl and pour over boiling water; stand for 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork to separate the grains. Stir through chopped vegetables, chickpeas and herbs and mix well. Whisk lemon juice, oil and preserved lemon together and season with salt and pepper
• Stir through salad.Heat a char-grill or barbecue plate over medium high heat; brush quail skin with oil and cook Breast Fillets for 3 minutes each side or cook to your liking
• To serve, spoon couscous salad onto plates, top with quail and a dollop of the garlic sauce
• To make the garlic sauce; place egg yolk, garlic, salt and lemon juice into a food processor and pulse. With the food processor running, add oil in a slow steady stream until a mayonnaise forms. Set aside

QUAIL WITH INDIAN SPICES

Steps:

• Using scissors or poultry shears, split the quail down the backbone and open out flat-I like to remove the backbone, and pull the tiny breast bones out (it's easy).
• Rinse and clean the cavity, and if the birds have been frozen, dry well with paper towel.
• Crush the garlic with the salt until very smooth, then mix in the remaining ingredients.
• Rub the mixture well into the quail, then cover and marinate at least 1 hour or overnight if time permits.
• Remove from the marinade, reserving it.
• Preheat a grill or broiler and cook, turning and brushing the quail at least twice with any remaining marinade.
• It the marinade is too thick to brush on, dilute it with a tablespoon each of oil and water.
• Cook until the quail are brown and crisp and done to your liking. I cooked our to medium and it took about 10 minutes.
• *Toast the rice in a dry pan, then grind with a mortar and pestle, the ground rice helps give the quail their nice crunchy coating.

FRUITY COUSCOUS & SPICED QUAIL

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, heat the orange juice and apricots until it boils. Remove from heat and take out 2 tbsp of juice for the dressing. Pour couscous into a bowl and pour the juice and apricot mix over, cover and let sit for 5 mins. In a bowl, mix the sliced onions in 1 tbsp of the vinegar and set aside. Fluff up the couscous with a fork until the lumps are broken up. Add the herbs and pine nuts.
• Heat a barbecue or grill until very hot. Rub the quail with some oil. Season well, sprinkle over the cinnamon and drizzle with a little of the honey. Barbecue or grill the quail for 3-4 mins each side until crisp at the edges. Mix remaining olive oil with reserved orange juice, vinegar and honey. Season and mix well. Drain onions and toss into couscous. Serve the quail on the couscous with dressing poured over, scattered with mint leaves.

SPICY HONEY AND GARLIC QUAIL

Steps:

• Note: I make it this way for my family which still has a nice kick, if it is for a party or just me I use 1/4 cup sambal oelek as I like it really spicy so adjust amount for heat.
• Cut quail in half length ways. Combine all marinade ingredients in a storage container or large bowl marinate several hours or over night.
• Preheat oven to 190°C place quail on wire rack over baking dish, reserve marinade,.
• cook quail for approximately 25 minutes or until browned and crisp and cooked through, brush with marinade a couple of times during cooking.
• Can be made as a starter for 4 or a main course for 2. You can also double ingredients for 4, as a main.
• Serve over deep fried vermicelli noodles with stir fried vegetables.
• This is also a good marinade for chicken wings or drumsticks.

SAUTEED QUAIL WITH PAPRIKA SAUCE AND MOROCCAN-SPICED VEGETABLES

Steps:

• With poultry shears or a sharp knife cut off necks, feet, and first 2 wing joints of each quail and discard. Cut out and discard backbones and halve each quail lengthwise through breast.
• Make sauce:
• Mince garlic and mash to a paste with salt. In a small heavy skillet heat garlic paste and paprika in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove skillet from heat and stir in lime juice and cayenne.
• Make quail:
• Pat quail dry and season with pepper and salt. Divide oil and butter between two 12-inch heavy skillets and heat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Add quail and sauté, skin sides down, until skin is golden, about 2 minutes. Turn quail over and sauté 2 minutes more. Turn quail skin sides down and sauté 1 minute more, or until skin is golden brown but meat is barely pink for medium.
• Serve quail with Moroccan vegetables and bulgur pilaf or couscous. Drizzle paprika sauce over and around vegetables and quail.