![]() ![]() Grilling the quail gives them a smokiness you can’t achieve in the oven. And last but not least, currants and pine nuts are a classic Sicilian combination, bringing sweetness and earthiness to the dish. Olive oil–toasted breadcrumbs are the crunchy finish, a tasty result of the Sicilians’ thrifty mentality. Pancetta, the essential flavoring of so many things Italian, gives the wilted spinach its salty punch. Ricotta is the favored soft cheese of the south, and here I’ve blended it into a hearty, savory pudding. On this platter, you’ll find all of my favorite Sicilian ingredients. These smaller birds don’t have as much meat as others, but they make up for their size in flavor. ![]() ![]() I hope this quail recipe tempts you to venture away from the usual poultry mainstays. Luscious to carry on a picnic, one might prepare the quail-or game hens, a chicken, or a fat capon, adjusting the poaching times accordingly-the evening before, and next day carry along the sack of birds readied for lunch. A few cloves of barely crushed garlic seem to invigorate the herbs. Lacking myrtle bushes, use whole branches of rosemary and thyme, fat leaves of sage, and the fronds of wild or cultivated fennel as lush surrogate bedding for the little birds. By fastening the sack securely, one creates a vaporous chamber in which they rest and cool, breathing in the sweet steam. Yet another cunning Sard prescription is to tuck the birds inside a paper or cloth sack fitted with the herbs. Roast the marinated quail in your oven or stick them on the grill.The game birds called grive that are the Sards’ quarry in the macchia are too small to cook over the open fire, hence they are often poached in white wine, then laid to cool on a palette of myrtle leaves and twigs, with a coverlet of yet more of the leaves, all of them scenting the flesh with soft perfumes, a reprise of the machinations of the old bracconiere (page 226). I tied off the legs because my cookie sheet was small. Place them onto a rimmed cookie sheet and roast for 15-20 minutes or until the slightly browned and just cooked through. Brush each bird well with olive oil, rub with paprika and a tiny dash of salt. ![]() Remove the quail from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Preheat oven to 400 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit – you can also grill the quail as well. Take quail out of the refrigerator one hour prior to cooking.Marinate whole quail for a minimum of 8 hours in the refrigerator. Massage the bag to evenly distribute the marinade all over the quail, and then refrigerate for at least 8 hours I marinated mine for 24 hours and it was perfect. Remove as much air from the bag as possible before sealing. Give the marinade another good whisk and pour it into the bag. Sprinkle salt all over and inside each bird and place them inside a large zip-top bag. Rinse quail under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.You can remove the leaves from the thyme sprigs or add them to the marinade whole. Do the same with the thyme sprigs (you can leave them whole if you like), and then also add to the bowl minced garlic, orange zest, orange juice, ¼ cup of olive oil, lemon juice, chardonnay, cumin, and onion. To make the marinade, first remove leaves from rosemary sprigs and rub them between your fingers/palms to release their oils and then drop them into a large bowl. ![]()
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