A small and tasty game bird with dark meat, quail  is easy to roast in the oven but you have to work quickly and pay attention to it as it dries fast. In this recipe, adapted from The Dean & Deluca Cookbook by David Rosengarten, quail is stuffed with rosemary sprigs and seasoned with salt and pepper and browned in the skillet with some butter and roasted in the oven. This very simple recipe makes a quick and delicious gourmet feast best enjoyed with a good bottle of red wine, particularly excellent to pair with Rhone Red, Pinot Noir, Volnay, Chianti, or Beaujolais.Easy recipes videos will help you learn this recipe easier.

Overcooking quail will make it dry, rubbery, stringy and tough. In this recipe, the quail is seared in butter to seal in its moisture before it is roasted in the oven. Since it is a small bird, it takes only about 15 to 18 minutes to roast and cook completely. Quickly cooking the quail will keep its juices inside and result in tender meat with a pleasantly subtle gaminess. This very simple recipe allows the natural flavors of the bird to shine through so you really get to savor its essence. You can serve roasted quail with some mashed potatoes, grilled or buttered vegetables, rice, or beans. It also goes great with some salad greens.

If you are using frozen quail, thaw the quail in the refrigerator overnight. If you are using a wild bird, you can reduce the gamey flavor by soaking it in milk or salt solution (about a tablespoon of salt for a quart of cold water). Before cooking, leave the quail at room temperature for at least thirty minutes. This helps prevent the meat from drying and becoming overcooked. You should also pat the bird dry so that it browns beautifully when you cook it in the skillet with butter.
4
10-15 min
60 min
Difficulty Level
Average
Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter
8 rosemary springs (cut in half)
8 quail
2 teaspoons sea salt
4 teaspoon pepper (freshly ground)

1

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place the butter in a large skillet and place over medium high heat.
2

While the butter is melting, place 2 rosemary springs inside each quail. Generously salt and pepper the outside of each bird.
3

When butter is melted, place one quail in the skillet and brown on every side. This will take about 5 minutes. Repeat with each bird.
4

Place the quail in a roasting pan, breast side up. Bake in the oven for 15 to 18 minutes, or until juices are clear when you prick the bird between the breastbone and leg. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.