Quail in a vegetable sauce

How to prepare quails in sauce . It does not happen to you sometimes that after eating a certain dish a lot of memories associated with it come to mind.

That happens to me with quails, my mother prepares them in a certain way that I never get, and that sometimes I am with her in all the preparation of the recipe. Help her even to chop all the ingredients, add them to the casserole, fry them, look like a fool as it is done in the casserole … and it comes out as I remember.

I repeat the same process again in my house, without it, and it does not come out the same … yes, some great quails, very rich, but they are not the same. Well, after many years, I have managed to get this recipe to be almost the same ( 97%) than hers. And I tell you the secret, because as in everything, repetition, doing it a lot of times to get the point.

One of those  recipes with meat that we have on the blog just as my grandmother prepared, now it is still being cooked by my aunt and my mother, and I think I have become heir to the recipe to share it with all of you.

On the blog you can find other recipes just as good: quail in the hunt , some  quail stewed with mushrooms , the delicious  quail with apple and vegetable sauce or the classic pickled quail .

The combination of flavors of these quails will make our mouths water. I encourage you to prepare some of these recipes with quail , that they become your own … I’ll leave it there Bon appetit!

Preparation of quail in sauce

1. The quails that we can find in supermarkets are already plucked and gutted, although there are always remains inside. We must see if there is anything between the wings and legs, also I always wash them just in case. If you find them in a better butcher shop, although they are much more laborious to clean.
2. In this case I have used 4 very large quails of about 180 gr. They already came clean, but it is best to wash them with a little warm water, dry them with absorbent paper and reserve for their preparation.
3. Season with salt and pepper and flour. We gild in a saucepan with about 150 ml. of extra virgin olive oil, not too much, just to seal them and not leak liquid (we want it inside, not outside). After 10 minutes when they are browned on both sides, remove from the saucepan. We reserve.
4. We wash and finely chop all the vegetables. We also cut the Serrano ham into small pieces. In that same casserole we add a little more oil to the one that we have used to seal the quails and fry all the vegetables until they are poached. First we add the onion, then the garlic clove, the leek and finally the ham, it will not be more than 10 minutes but it depends on the temperature of the fire. Season with salt and pepper.
5. When the vegetables are soft and colored, add the brandy or cognac and let it boil.

Quail cooking

1. Add the quail to the casserole with the vegetables and set the temperature to high, pour the white wine and stir everything so that the flavors and ingredients come together.
2. In about 5 minutes it will have reduced the alcohol and liquid, we lower the temperature in half and gradually add the poultry stock, stirring for about 20 minutes over medium low heat.
3. We remove the quails to a plate and crush the sauce with the mash, a Chinese or with the mixer. Although with the blender the sauce is a uglier color than if we do it with the pastry or a fine mesh strainer. We crush the vegetables so that almost all the vegetables pass, I recommend this last option.
4. Logically if you like the sauce with the pieces of vegetables, it is just as good.
5. Add the quail, a little water until almost covered, the bay leaf, the thyme sprig to the saucepan with the sauce and taste salt (if necessary add a little more).

Final presentation of quail in sauce and accompaniments

1. We cook over medium-low heat for 50 minutes if they are hunting quail, until the meat is tender (the breast is the hardest part).
2. If the quail are from the farm with 25-30 minutes it will be more than enough. If the broth does not completely cover the quails while they cook, we turn them over from time to time.
3. We remove the quail and cut it in half (they are better presented and are easier to eat), we serve with the sauce of the vegetables. Sprinkle with a little fresh parsley to garnish.
4. Do not forget a good bread to dip the sauce, it is glorious! My girl says that it is a most entertaining recipe to eat, you have to leave the bones very clean.
5. We accompany this dish with a lettuce, tomato and onion salad and you will be guaranteed a luxury of flavors on your palate. Although turned french fries give the dish a festive look.

Tips for a fluffy quail

• For a dish of quail stews or stews in sauce it is important that we always opt for quality products, both in the meat and in its surroundings.
• So that a recipe worthy of a holiday comes out and that they delight the whole family. The quail meat is very lean and with a very subtle flavor, ideal to serve as a second course on a special menu.
• Being a small and very colorful portion, it can be cut in half to make it easy to eat, accompanied by the vegetable sauce and some turned potatoes or, why not, some duchess potatoes.
• Quail is a delight and there are a lot of ways to make it. Its meat is very lean, with extraordinary quality, great tenderness and a very good appearance.
• They are ideal to serve as a second course on a special menu with the family, as they are a small and very colorful portion, presenting the entire piece with the vegetables on the sides.
• This recipe with quail can be made, adapting the cooking times, with partridges, picantones, or just a few free-range chicken breasts if you don’t like to find bones.
• Depending on the size of the portion that we want to serve, depending on how abundant the rest of the menu is, we can have 1 or 2 quail per person.
• The sauce is yummy, if it is left over, I recommend saving it, even freezing it. It is perfect to add to other meat or poultry stews.
• You can see all the photos of the step by step of how to seal the quail in this album.