Roasted quickly on high heat and served with a balsamic vinegar reduction.
This was supposed to be a Valentine’s Day meal.
Dainty roast quail, so small that a serving is two birds each.
Elise Bauer
Which means fingers, and little bones, and messy, and primal.
Wait, maybe that’s not so bad after all for a romantic meal?
Or just pull the breast meat out with your fingers.
Elise Bauer
They are delicate-tasting birds and need this delicate treatment to truly shine.
Truss the quail with kitchen string.
Cut off a length of string about 18 inches long.
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Tie the string tightly around the neck.
Allow the quail to come to room temperature for at least 20 minutes.
Pat the quail dry with paper towels.
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Coat the quail with the olive oil and salt well.
When the oven is hot, arrange the quail, breast side up, in a small roasting pan.
Use pieces of the celery stick to keep the birds upright while they roast.
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Roast quail for 10 to 12 minutes in a 500F oven.
Discard the celery sticks.
Add the chicken stock and deglaze the pan by scraping all the browned bits off the bottom.
Bring this to a simmer and pour into a small pot or saute pan.
Add the balsamic vinegar, increase the heat to high and boil down to a syrup.
Halfway through the boil, pour any accumulated juice from the resting quail into the sauce.
When the sauce thickens and will coat the back of a spoon, it’s ready.
Serve the quail with the sauce drizzled over everything.
Serve with a side of polenta, orrice pilaf.
