Stewed quail with pumpkin, chanterelles and apple

How to make stewed quail .

The gastronomic hunting days are more and more fashionable, restaurants throughout Spain offer us many types of recipes with this seasonal meat.

One of those  recipes with meat that we have on the blog that does not leave you indifferent for its powerful flavor and that for lovers of the gastronomic world is an inescapable appointment.

On the blog we have a recipe for game meat, not many, but there is one in particular that we love at home,  quail .

Encourage you with recipes with this type of meat, as well as healthy it is very tasty, at home we like it very much and you can find other recipes just as good, the classic pickled   quail or  quail with vegetable and apple sauce . 

You can find them in any supermarket, in the section of select poultry meats, and that is that the sale of this type of meat, whether quail or partridge, is increasingly organized and regulated.

Although most of the feather pieces come from hatcheries so that those reluctant to the art of hunting do not have problems in this regard.

To accompany such exquisite and at the same time entertaining meat, we have to design dishes that match and if we are in the autumn season. There is no way to give it a sweet point with one of the mushrooms that I like the most, the chanterelles and the touch of apple and pumpkin .

The garnish is as important as the quail itself, and you will see how impressive the result is.

In the step by step photographs you will see how little by little the recipe takes its shape and a work of art appears, reason to open a good bottle of red wine. Come on, a festive dish in itself, a show .

Preparation of the quail

1. The quails that we can find in supermarkets are already plucked and gutted, although there are always remains inside.
2. 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.
3. In this case I have used 4 large quails that were already clean, but it is best to wash them with a little warm water.
4. We dry them with absorbent paper and reserve for their preparation.
5. Season with salt and pepper and flour.
6. Brown in a saucepan with about 100 ml of extra virgin olive oil, not too much.
7. 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.

Preparation of the garnish of mushrooms and vegetables

1. Well cleaned chanterelles , wash them to remove soil and plant debris that may bring.
2. We dry them with a bit of absorbent paper and laminate.
3. We peel and chop the pumpkin (you can follow the video in case you have a whole pumpkin) and apples in large pieces.
4. Approximately in two-centimeter squares, since then we will cook over low heat. We do not want them to stay in anything, we want to find the pieces on the plate.
5. In that same saucepan we pour the rest of the oil and add the glazed onions .
6. You can also use small garnish type chives, which are very good. If you can’t find them, use fresh chives cut into large cubes.
7. We fry them all until they are golden brown, it will not be more than 5 minutes, do not let them burn.
8. We add the chanterelles, we sauté with the chives and it is at this point when we add our quails with the pumpkin and the apple.

Cooking and final presentation of the quail

1. We remove everything by combining flavors and water with a glass and a half of fragrant wine, we are worth a PX, a Port or a muscat, whichever you have at home.
2. We are stirring and after half an hour over medium-low heat.
3. We add the bay leaves, the sprig of parsley, the rosemary and three generous pinches of salt.
4. We cook over medium-low heat for 40-45 minutes if they are hunting quail, until the meat is tender (the breast is the hardest part). If the quail are from farm with 20-25 minutes it will be more than enough.
5. If we see that it runs out of sauce we can add a little water to create sauce. And if you like more liquid with less garnish, pass half the accompaniment through a mixer and mix everything at the end.
6. We remove the quail and split in half.
7. We serve with this spectacular garnish and sprinkle with a little fresh parsley to garnish. Do not forget a good bread to dip the sauce, it is glorious!

You can see all the step by step photos of the recipe for quail stewed with mushrooms and pumpkin   in this album. Do not miss any detail and it will be perfect.

Tips for a fluffy quail

• The touch of the recipe will be the garnish, and above all an element that will give it all its flavor: chanterelles, one of the favorite mushrooms at home.
• Chanterelles or rovellones (Lactarius Delicious) belong to one of the most appreciated and well-known genres of mushrooms and stand out for their versatility in the kitchen, since we can prepare them on the grill, with garlic, in stew, with rice, to garnish fish and meat, with pasta …
• Above they are very beautiful, orange in color with circles of reddish tones that sometimes turn green and orange over time. They give off a quite pleasant aroma that will delight young and old.
• If you do not have the opportunity to walk through the mountains and look for them, of course there is always the option of buying them from the greengrocer.