Roasted Quail Fattoush Salad
Explore fresh and healthy wild game dishes like this flavorful, Mediterranean-inspired salad that is versatile enough to accommodate any upland bird
Every new year, countless individuals pack into gyms with the self-promise to stick to a new workout routine. At home, these same folks purge their fridges and cabinets of junk food and line their bookshelf with literature focused on healthy eating. Most of these people’s efforts are short-lived as true commitment comes from within—not from a single digit at the end of a calendar.
But what if those healthy eating efforts were also incredibly tasty? In September 2022, I made major lifestyle changes that dropped me from 265 pounds to 185 in six months. Wild game played a big part, as I explained to Outdoor Life. During that time, I became a big fan of dishes from the Mediterranean Diet. The combination of fresh produce, bright flavor tones, and savory meats left my stomach and mind full.
In Kansas, I started frequenting Meddy’s instead of Sonic whenever we might eat out for lunch. In my opinion, Meddy’s is like the Chipotle of Mediterranean food. At home, I started to replicate some of their dishes. Here, I am sharing my version of their fattoush salad, one of my favorites. We are incorporating quail instead of lamb, but can use whatever selection of upland birds you have sitting in your freezer.
For some birds like quail, or even chukar or ruffed grouse, I will spatchcock the entire bird, which means I cut out the spine and flatten it like a book for a more even cook—whether grilling or roasting. I have also started cutting romaine hearts fresh versus buying boxes or bags of salad. To cut romaine, cut them lengthwise on either side of each rib, leaving 1-inch-wide strips that you can then cut into 1-inch-by-1-inch bite-size squares. Make sure to rinse your romaine hearts if they aren’t already rinsed.
Lastly, as a friendly reminder, heart disease remains the leading cause of death in our country. At the age of 40, with two daughters who are 6 and 2, I want to be around for a lot longer. I suspect you might want to keep on trucking, too. Why not do so with a bit of flavor in your life?
Roasted Quail Fattoush Salad
Ingredients
- 2-4 quail whole, plucked, and spatchcocked
- Spice rub recommend Fire and Smoke Fish Monger
- Cooking spray
Dressing
- 1-1/2 lemons medium
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp mint freshly minced
- 1 tbsp garlic freshly minced
- 1 tbsp parsley freshly minced
- 3 tbsp balsamic glaze
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp allspice
Spring salad mix
- Romaine lettuce cut into 1" squares
- Radishes thinly sliced
- Red onions thinly sliced
- Cucumbers thinly sliced
- Red bell pepper minced
- Scallions sliced
- Sea salt pita chips crushed
Instructions
- To spatchcock the quail, use kitchen shears to cut out their spines. Then, flatten the bird. Liberally dust the birds with a spice rub, then place them in the fridge so they absorb the spices and dry out for 3-5 hours. Remember, dry skin equals crispy skin when roasting
- Make the salad dressing. First, thoroughly mix all of the ingredients other than olive oil. Then, slowly stir in the olive oil
- To roast the quail, preheat the oven to 500 F. Lightly spray the quail with cooking oil and place them on a rack or stainless steel mesh tray to allow for ample 360-degree airflow while roasting.
- Roast for 8-10 minutes, or until the breasts are 155 F. If the skin isn’t as crispy as you would like, take 2 minutes and crisp them up under the broiler.
- Assemble the salad. Toss the spring salad mix with the sliced and diced vegetables. Lightly crumble the pita chips overtop. Add a whole quail to the salad or pick the meat (once the quail are cool enough) and sprinkle it on top. Drizzle the salad dressing on top or serve on the side.
Nutrition
