Simple, easy, delicious.
Prior to cooking these quail, I had never cooked one before. So I thought I ought to do this as simply as possible to get a good idea for how the birds cooks, what the texture is like once cooked and what the base flavor of the bird is when cooked.
Per person you need two quail
Salt
Thyme
Pepper
Olive Oil
Brandy
Wash and dry the quail, then salt and pepper them lightly all over inside and out. Strip the thyme from the stems and sprinkle over. Massage the little birds lightly and loosely cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
When you are ready to eat, turn on the broiler.
Wipe the quail dry and pick off thyme leaves. Rub the oil in and then rub just a tiny bit of bourbon into the skin. It helps the browning process.
Place quail breast side up several inches apart on broiler safe baking sheet with shallow lip. Place under the broiler and once they have browned after 5-6 minutes, flip them over for about 2 minutes. Turn them one more time for a minute and remove from the oven.
By the time you get them plated and to the table they will have rested enough to start consuming. Our sides were orzo and nice green leafy salad.
The flavor was delicious. They were not nearly as difficult to eat as I thought they would be. They are really finger food.
Drink with a light red wine, I think we had a Cote du Rhone or perhaps a rose would be delicious with this meal.
Next time we are butterflying them and putting them on the grill. If I am inspired, I will find a sauce for them. I don’t care if it is 30º out, I’ve already broken out my grill for the Spring.