Beautiful little heart-shaped quail cook up quickly for a delicious and elegant dinner.  Frozen quail can be defrosted directly in a brine to imbed flavor and plump up the meat, plus it quickens the defrosting time. Overcooking quail can make the meat dry and tough.  This recipe calls for browning the quail and then roasting at a high temperature for a short time to create a moist, juicy result.

Tender Roasted Quail

Brine recipe:

• 1/4 c kosher salt
• 1 T brown sugar
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. whole peppercorns
• 1 Tbsp. orange peel
• 1/4 c orange juice
• 1 T soy sauce.
• 1-2 quarts cold water (enough to submerge quail)

Other ingredients:

• 4-6 whole, cleaned quail
• 2-3 tsp. poultry seasoning
• 2-3 Tbsp. butter or oil of choice
• ¼ – ½ cup dry white wine or vermouth (or orange juice)

Preparation:

1. Combine brine ingredients in a glass, ceramic, or non-reactive metal pan that is at least 4” deep (taller than the birds) that is big enough to have the birds in a single layer. Submerge the quail in the brine.  If the quail is frozen, it can be placed in the brine for about 4 to 6 hours at room temperature, covered with wrap or a lid, until defrosted.  If the quail meat was fresh or previously defrosted in the refrigerator, then place the quail in the brine and put in the refrigerator for 1 to 4 hours (longer may make the meat overly salty). Turn the birds occasionally in the brine and make sure the meat is covered by the brine liquid.
2. Preheat oven to 475°F (you want a hot oven!).
3. Remove the quail from the brine and pat dry with paper towels.
4. Rub the quails with poultry seasoning and fresh cracked pepper.
5. Melt 1-2 Tbsp. butter over medium-high heat in a large cast iron skillet or other braising pan that can go directly in the oven.
6. Brown the quail for a minute or two per side in the hot butter.
7. Add dry white wine or vermouth to the pan.
8. Turn the quail breast-side down and place the pan in the hot oven for 10-12 minutes. Carefully flip the birds with long tongs used for grilling, minding hot pan and oven, add a splash more wine, and cook 3-5 minutes more until nicely browned.
9. Remove from the oven and let meat rest for about five minutes before serving (for efficiency, you can transfer the birds to a plate to rest and quickly cook a tasty side vegetable, like zucchini, broccoli, or asparagus directly in the braising pan either on the stove top or back in the oven).
10. To serve, place a whole quail on a bed of mashed potatoes, rice pilaf, or grits with a side vegetable and pour any pan juices over the meat. Serves 4-6.