Roast quail with juniper berries

6 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
12 eaches Quail, necks and feet removed
6 slices Pancetta, thin, (Italian dry-cured unsmoked bacon) coarsely chopped
6 slices Bacon, coarsely chopped
12 eaches Sage, leaves, fresh OR
½ teaspoon Sage, dried
36 eaches Juniper, berries, toasted in dry skillet for 5 minutes
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
¼ cup Oil, olive
¼ cup Gin
½ cup Wine, white, dry
2 cups Stock, Veal **

Directions

** Recipes for this ingredient can be found elsewhere in this database.

Preheat your oven to 450 F. Holding quail, breast up, tuck wing tips under. Place a little of the pancetta, a sage leaf, and 2 juniper berries in the cavity of each bird. Sprinkle the cavity and outside of each bird with a little salt and pepper. Push each leg joint downward and fasten it to the carcass with a toothpick, pushing 1 toothpick through both legs.

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet over very high heat.

Arrange birds in pan, breasts down. Saute, shaking pan occasionally until breasts are lightly golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Place the skillet in the oven and roast 5 to 6 minutes. Use tongs to turn birds' breasts up and continue to roast until golden brown, about 6 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the oven and transfer the quail to 6 warm serving plates; keep warm while preparing sauce.

Discard any fat from the skillet and place the pan over medium-high heat. Deglaze the skillet, adding the gin and wine, scraping up any browned bits in a pan. Add your stock and boil gently until reduced enough to coat a spoon lightly. Stir in the remaining juniper berries, adjust your seasonings, and pour this over the birds. Serve immediately.

Source: New York's Master Chefs, Bon Appetit Magazine : Written by Richard Sax, Photographs by Nancy McFarland : The Knapp Press, Los Angeles, 1985 Chef: Seppi Renggli, The Four Seasons Restaurant, New York Owners: Tom Margittai, and Paul Kovi Pastry: Bruno Comin

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