Goat Cheese Stuffed Quail With Bacon Recipes

BACON-WRAPPED QUAIL STUFFED WITH GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Season each quail inside and out with salt and pepper. Transfer to 1 to 2 large bowls, add oil, thyme, and garlic, and toss to combine. Refrigerate, covered, at least 1 hour and up to 48 hours.
• Preheat oven to 500°F. Remove 1 quail from marinade. Stuff cavity with 1 ounce goat cheese and 1 sprig rosemary and tie legs together loosely with kitchen string. Wrap 1 strip bacon around breast and transfer quail, breast side up, to rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining quail, using 2 to 3 baking sheets. Roast until just cooked through (cut into inner thigh; meat will still be slightly pink), about 15 minutes.

BACON AND GOAT CHEESE STUFFED MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• If your mushrooms caps are very rounded, trim a very thin slice from the top of the caps to help them sit upright for baking. Toss the mushroom caps with the olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl.
• Heat the butter over medium-high heat. Add the chopped mushroom stems, celery and shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until just soft, 6 to 8 minutes. Scrape into a large bowl, season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and set aside to cool.
• Add the bacon, goat cheese and chives to the cooled mushroom stem mixture. Stir in the breadcrumbs until well moistened.
• Pack each mushroom with an equal amount of filling and transfer the filled mushrooms to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the mushrooms are tender and the filling is brown and crispy on top, about 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before removing from the baking sheet.

GOAT CHEESE-STUFFED FIGS WRAPPED IN BACON

Steps:

• Preheat broiler.
• Cook bacon in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until most of the fat is rendered but bacon is still pliable, about 10 minute You do not want crispy bacon!
• Transfer the bacon to a paper towel to drain.
• Remove 1 scoop of flesh from each of the fig halves with the small end of a melon-baller, set aside for another use. (Makes great ice cream or just bite sized snacks).
• Scoop out a piece of the goat cheese with the same meon-baller and fill in the hole in each fig half with the cheese scoop.
• Stir together brown sugar, cumin, and salt in a small bowl.
• Rub the mixture onto 1 side of each bacon slice, and cut each bacon slice in half to have 16 slices of bacon.
• Wrap 1 of the half strips of bacon around 1 of the fig halves, leaving the sugar/spice side out, and secure with a toothpick.
• Broil the figs, cut side up, on the rack of a broiler pan about 3 inches from the heat, until bacon is browned - about 2 minute.
• Cool slightly and then discard toothpicks.
• Serve warm.