Roasted Quail with Bourbon Cranberry Sauce
Serve up this upland twist on a traditional meal to your holiday guests this season
Ingredients
- 4 whole quail spatchcocked
- 12 oz fresh cranberries
- 1 medium yellow onion thinly sliced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger minced
- 1 tsp fresh garlic minced
- 1 Mandarin orange juiced and zested
- 1/2 cup bourbon
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2-4 oz fresh basil chiffonade
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Spatchcock quail and dust with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Leave outside the fridge for 1 hour to bring to room temperature.
- To make cranberry sauce, first finely dice a medium yellow onion. In a large skillet, heat a thin layer of olive oil on medium heat and add the onion. Dust with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Once onions are slightly seared and brown, turn heat to medium-low and continue to caramelize onions. Once onions are caramelized (about 20-30 minutes), add 1 teaspoon each of freshly minced ginger and garlic. Raise heat to medium and stir in for 2-3 minutes.
- Deglaze skillet contents with 1/2 cup of bourbon. Stir in for a few minutes. Add 1 cup of chicken stock, followed by 12 ounces of fresh cranberries, juice and zest from one mandarin orange, and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. Stir frequently as cranberries crack and release juice. The sauce is done when most cranberries have cracked and the sauce has a jelly-like texture but still some texture of actual cranberries. Salt to taste. Turn to low until ready to serve.
- To roast quail, pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Add quail to a baking sheet or some sort of oven-safe grate, lightly coat with olive oil. Roast skin-side-up for 12 minutes, then turn on broiler and sear for 5 minutes. Ideally, when done, skin is brown and breasts are around 165 and legs are closer to 180.
- To serve, let quail rest for 5 minutes. Either dollop cranberry sauce on quail or the side and top with fresh basil, cut chiffonade.
Nutrition
Calories: 1824kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 145gFat: 116gSaturated Fat: 33gPolyunsaturated Fat: 25gMonounsaturated Fat: 48gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 573mgSodium: 627mgPotassium: 1745mgFiber: 5gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 2017IUVitamin C: 34mgCalcium: 141mgIron: 8mg
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