Impress friends and family with this elaborate roast quail and stuffing dish from Tom Minchella. (Photo courtesy of Tom Minchella)
December 13, 2017
By Tom Minchella
Print Recipe
Serves: 4 Prep time: 45 minutes Cook time: 50 minutes
Stuffing Ingredients:
½ pound fresh chestnuts 2 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon chopped garlic ½ cup chopped onions ½ cup chopped celery 6 slices stale bread, broken into pieces ½ cup chicken broth ½ tablespoon chopped fresh sage Salt and freshly ground pepper Quail Ingredients:
8 fresh quail 2 tablespoons olive oil ¼ cup balsamic vinegar Salt and pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With a sharp knife cut an "X" on the flat side of the chestnuts. Place chestnuts on a cookie sheet and roast for 30-45 minutes or until chestnuts open up. Cool chestnuts and then peel and remove the skin. Chop chestnuts and set aside. Heat butter in a medium sauté pan. Add garlic, onions and celery; cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. With a spatula, fold in the bread, chestnuts and chicken broth. Season chestnut mixture with fresh sage, salt and black pepper. Set mixture aside to cool. Adjust oven to 425 degrees. Rinse quail under cold water and pat dry. Rub inside and outside of quail with olive oil. Season inside and out with salt and pepper. Use a spoon to fill each quail with the cooled stuffing. With a 10-inch piece of butcher's twine, truss the quail the same way as a chicken. Brush quail with balsamic vinegar. Place stuffed quail on a roasting pan and roast in oven for 10-15 minutes. Remove roasted quail and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
