Quail with wild rice recipe

Ingredients

• 9 quail (1 ½ quail per serving)
• 8 juniper berries marinated 2 to 3 hours
• in ¼ cups (375 ml) chicken stock

Quail stuffing

• 2 tbsp (30 ml) butter
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• livers and hearts of quail, diced
• 1 ½ cups (375 ml) wild rice, cooked
• 1 large red apple, cored and diced
• 3 tbsp (45 ml) cream
• 1 egg yolk
• salt and pepper to taste
• pinch lemon thyme

MIREPOIX

• 2 tbsp (30 ml) butter
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 small carrot, diced
• 1 small stalk celery, diced

how to cook quail

1. With quails in their backs and starting at the tail end, make an incision along breast. Carefully remove all small bones from breast and back sections, leaving the legs intact.
2. To Prepare Stuffing : Melt butter in a pan. Add green onions. Cook until softened. Add the livers and hearts of quail. cook 5 minutes. Mix in the wild rice and diced apple. Stir in cream and egg yolk to bind all ingredients together. Season to taste.

To Prepare Mirepoix :

1. Melt butter saute vegetables until tender. Spoon into the bottom of an ovenproof dish.
2. Spoon stuffing into cavity of quails. Stitch incision with cotton thread. Arrange quails over mirepoix in one layer. Bake at 400°F(200°C) for 15 to 20 minutes, basting frequently. Lift quails from dish and remove stitches. Keep warm.
3. To Prepare Sauce : Discard vegetables, but pour pan juices into a small saucepan. Add juniper berry mixture and chicken stock. Bring sauce to a boil. Reduce until thickened. Season, strain and spoon the sauce over the quails before serving.