Butterflied and Casseroled Quail in Cream and Mushroom Sauce

Butterflied quail with creamy mushroom sauce

Important! - It is currently illegal to hunt/shoot wild quail in Scotland and England, though it is permitted in Wales and Northern Ireland at certain times of year. Although migratory quail are native to Scotland, they are classed as endangered and protected by current legislation. This means that quail sold for eating in Scotland (usually online) are most likely imported from countries such as France or farmed/reared in private establishments.

Quail are one of the smaller game birds but this does not make them any less suited to cooking for the table. They are generally cooked and served whole (usually by roasting) but in this recipe, I started by spatchcocking the bird and subsequently shallow frying it in a pan before slowly casseroling in the oven.

This recipe would be more ideally suited as a starter/appetizer, rather than as a main course.

Prepared quail

Cook Time

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 50 min

Ready in: 1 hour

Yields: 1 serving

Ingredients

• 1 cleaned and plucked quail
• 1 tablespoon plain (all purpose) flour
• 3 ounces/75g (0.75 stick) unsalted butter
• 6 or 7 small button mushrooms
• 8 fluid ounces (235ml) fresh chicken stock
• 3 fluid ounces (90ml) double (heavy) cream
• 2 large savoy cabbage leaves
• 1 large garlic clove
• 1 teaspoon redcurrant jelly
• Salt and black pepper

Butterflied quail

Method

Butterflying any bird is very straightforward but with these delicate little quail, the process is incredibly quick and easy. Simply sit it upright on a chopping board on its neck (legs uppermost) and - holding it steady in your weaker hand - use a large chef's knife or cleaver to carefully cut down either side of the backbone and pull the bone free. Be careful of course not to cut all the way through to the breasts' side! Gently open the bird up and lay it out flat as shown above.

Put your oven on to preheat to 170C/350F/Gas Mark 4.

Quail is sealed in butter

Scatter the flour on a dinner plate and season well with salt and pepper. Melt 1 ounce of the butter only in a small frying pan. Pat the quail on both sides in the flour to ensure even covering and fry over a medium heat in the butter for 2 minutes each side until lightly browned.

Mushrooms are heated in chicken stock and butter

Lift the quail to a casserole dish, placing it breasts side up. Add the mushrooms, chicken stock and cream to the frying pan and bring to a simmer.

Cream and mushrooms combination is poured over quail

Pour the cream and mushrooms over the quail. The quail should be almost but not quite covered. Put the lid on the dish and cook in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.

Sauteing savoy cabbage and garlic

Around 5 minutes before the quail is due to come out of the oven, cut the tough core from the centre of the savoy cabbage leaves and discard. Roll each leaf in turn and shred. Melt the remaining butter in a small frying pan and grate in the peeled garlic clove. Add the cabbage, season with salt and pepper and saute over a medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes to just soften the cabbage.

Arrange the cabbage on your serving plate as a bed for the quail, which should be lifted from the casserole dish with a slotted spoon and sat on top. Lift the mushrooms from the casserole dish with the same slotted spoon and arrange alongside. Spoon some of the cream sauce over the quail and spoon on the redcurrant jelly last of all before service.