ROAST QUAIL IN BEET
ROAST QUAIL IN BEET – We serve plump fowl with a fragrant beet-and-apricot chutney in this flavorful dish. Tender and tasty, with a more pronounced “poultry” flavor…and if someone claims it tastes like chicken, tell them to go sit in the corner and don’t eat dessert!
ROAST QUAIL IN BEET
INGREDIENTS NEEDED:
— 2 medium yellow beets
— 8 Whole Quails
— 12 dried apricots
— 1/2 cup mint leaves, packed
— 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
— 1 1/2 cups onion, coarsely chopped
— 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, finely grated
— 4 teaspoons garam masala
— 2 teaspoons crushed coriander seeds
— 1 teaspoon turmeric
— 1/2 teaspoon saffron
— 4 whole star anise
— 1 hot green chile pepper, such as serrano, split and seeded
— 8 plum tomatoes, blanched and peeled, if desired, seeded and chopped
— 2 juice of oranges, freshly squeezed
— sea salt or kosher salt
— 1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus additional
— 2 red apples, such as Rome, peeled, cored and quartered
— Pepper
— 1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS:
Put a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Wrap the beets in aluminum foil after washing them. Place on a baking pan and roast for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until readily punctured with a paring knife. Take the beets out of the oven. Peel and cut them into 1/2-inch cubes once they’ve cooled enough to handle.
Meanwhile, bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Add the apricots and mint leaves, remove the pan from the heat, and let cool to room temperature. Purée mixture in blender or food processor.
Lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
In a large roasting pan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onions, ginger root, garam masala, coriander seeds, turmeric, saffron, star anise, and chile pepper and sweat until the onions are lightly colored, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, toss, and cook 4 minutes more. Pour the orange juice and apricot purée into the pan, and stir to combine. Add the diced beets, bring to a simmer, and season to taste with salt. Bake for 60 minutes.
Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in a large nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat while the sauce is simmering. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. When the apples are cold enough to handle, load each bird with an apple slice and skewer two quails to a skewer through both legs, right below the knee. Alternatively, you may omit the skewers and simply re-insert a piece of apple into a quail cavity if it pops out.
In a large nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm the vegetable oil. Season the quail with salt and pepper and press the mustard seeds evenly all over each quail. Add 4 quails to the pan and sear on all sides until golden brown, about 7 to 8 minutes. Repeat with the remaining 4 quails, adding more oil to the pan if needed.
Put the quails, skin-side down, over the tomato-beet chutney, pressing them into the mixture. Return the pan to the oven and braise, uncovered, for 60 minutes. Serve over creamy polenta or own their own, asparagus and a chilled green salad.
More recipes :
CHICKEN WITH LEMON GARLIC PASTA
SHRIMP PASTA WITH CREAMY MOZZARELLA SAUCE
